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Our team played in the
World Baseball Classic and suffered a shock comeback defeat to Australia in their first game. The pitching staff collapsed after hitting three home runs, and even made the absurd mistake of being outed for a hit and a ceremony.

Reporter Lee Sung-hoon in Tokyo.

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Under pressure to
win, the national team failed to catch the flow early and played a difficult game.

Starting with the leadoff hitter in the first inning, 3 batters retired in a row, and starter Ko Young-pyo allowed a solo home run in the fifth inning after giving up the go-ahead run in the fourth inning.

The jammed offense came alive in the fifth inning.

Yang Ji-won hit a three-run home run to quickly turn the game around, and in the sixth inning, Park Byung-ho added another run with a timely two-run homer.

Late in the game, when victory seemed to be on the verge with a 1-13 lead, the mound collapsed.

In the seventh inning, Kim Won-jung hit a comeback three-run home run, and in the eighth inning, Yang Hyun-jong hit a wedge three-run homer in turn and put his head down.

Baekho Kang, who came out in the seventh inning, made the fatal mistake of hitting a hit to left-center and then getting tagged out of the base after his foot fell off the base while celebrating at second base.

The varsity trailed by one run with six walks and no hits in the eighth inning, and kept their hopes alive with Edman's leadoff hitter in the ninth inning, but there was no comeback drama in the end.

After reliever Kim Ha-sung and Lee Jung-hoo retired on a bunt, the game ended when Edman was out while attempting to steal second base.

After a shocking comeback defeat at 4-5, the players left the Tokyo Dome with a determined expression.

[Lee Kang-kang/WBC Team Manager: I think the pitcher I trusted had a game where he got a little bit of a miss in one inning. We have three more games left, so we'll prepare him to focus on that.

Korean baseball, which has conceded the first game in all three WBC games, is in a difficult position today (5th) to catch Japan, the strongest side in Group B, to keep alive its hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

(Video Interview: Jang Un-seok and Yoon Hyung, Video Editing: Lee Jung-taek)