LIVE BLOG: WBC FINALS!

THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC FINALS ARE UNDERWAY, WITH JAPAN VS. KOREA FOR A FATEFUL FIFTH MEETING!

Japan and Korea have split the previous four meetings of the Classic, and the Exodus of March comes to a close!

Korea killed Venezeula 10-2 in the first semi-final match, and Japan downed the USA 6-2.

That's how they got there!

Korea wins the toss and will have the last ATBAT! Ichiro to lead off.

1st INNING

Announcers comment that Ichiro needs to hit a homerun, ICHIRO HIT! So odd that these two teams have played so many times this tournament, it's ridiculous.

Strikes and Balls, folks.

Korea's hat looks like a racist organization. Japan's manager looks on furiously as small fast Nakajima tries to bunt a pitch in the dirt, and now sacrifices Ichiro to second..

Japan is 2-2 vs. Lefties, and 4-0 vs. righties, so Korea has started their lefthanded dude against them, having beaten them twice with lefties in the tournament. Ground out to the pitcher for the singles-hitting Japanese team, which doesn't have the greatest offense, Jojhima, hitting cleanup, come on, what the hell is that?

Still a few empty rows of seats despite the fact that it's the finals in the back sections of the Stadium and down the lines in the last rows, surprising considering it's the finals...

Kenji gets the walk. Ground ball by some older Japanese dude, half frame over.

I know it's early, but fuck, I think this game is going to be epic.

Iwakuma 0.73 ERA over 12.1 IP for Japan, even better than Dice-K in this classic, and strikes out the first batter, the DH coming up batting .308 for the classic but grounds out to the second baseman Iwamura. Easy 1-2-3 inning.

2nd INNING

The umpires are mentioned, weird. Samurai up to bat, what a shitty slow roller to the mound. The manager was quite a player, apparently. Kenta Kurihara joined Japan as a replacement player and has been given a chance tonight!

Go Kenta!

Although I can't tell the difference between all these players, it's like watching a bunch of twins and triplets come up to bat, and some like the Korean pitcher have dirty 'staches. I'm not racist or anything, but white people differentiate easier.

Weird game. Asian game.

6-2 records for both teams in the classic. They have only lost to each other.

Ichiro 6 of 19 in the WBC vs. Korea...

Korea escapes a 1st and 2nd 2-out jam by getting Ichiro to ground out!

Goregeous night. 60 degrees, SoCal........

TAE KYUM KIM could win the MVP should Korea win, .385, 3HR 11RBI in the tournament...Iwakuma sporting a blue glove like Juan Guzman did....lazy fly ball to Ichiro, nice grab in foul territory.

End of 2. 0-0. Bum Lo Hee Hoo Sucks.

3RD INNING!

It's almost like the two best prepared teams made the finals, not the best teams...but hey practice makes perfect.

Apparently Korea didn't practice long throws in the hole, as an infield hit by Japan puts the leadoff man on first.

ERROR BY THE SECOND BASEMAN PUTS 1ST AND 2nd.

SLOW ROLLER, FORCE OUT AT 2ND SOMEHOW.

Base hit into right field through the first baseman and second baseman, Japan up 1-0!

4 SINGLES for Japan, just how they like to roll.

Another single, bases loaded now, the Korean pitcher has not made a bad pitch in the inning, just really unlucky on ground balls and the error.

2-2 now to Kenti, the late callup due to the power hitting Murata's torn hamstring, and Kenti has grounded out into an inning ending double play...which will anger Japan.

1-0 Japan after 2 and a half.

Iwakuma should pitch in the major leagues, he's so good. A pop up spells out one. Kyung Something Park up to bat, hitting just .095..soft hitting catcher...strikes out.

Japan's Iwakuma having no trouble at all, as an easy groundout marks the third out, 1-0 Japan thru 3.

4TH INNING

Now the Korean pitcher finding his groove, one down, and the number nine hitter lining out to left...Ichiro to come up.

The really nice thing about this game is that we are already in the fourth, and it's been a fast game!

1-2-3 Inning too, as Korea's pitcher is pumped to have just allowed one Japanese run in four innings of work, you can tell how much this world baseball classic means to him...

20,000 People Jammed into Jasol, Korea at 11 AM in a Dome watching the game, this game will get huge fucking ratings in Japan and Korea.

This is just the 2nd World Baseball Classic, and it's become popular already overseas, maybe not so much in America, there's still empty seats...

Korea is simply being too fucking patient and must fucking swing. Korea is afraid to strikeout, and with 45 walks in the tournament, I see why they are taking such a strategy, but Iwakuma has been amazing all tournament.

One down on yet another slow roller and I'm struggling to find a fat Korean. A fast, speedy, defensive minded team. Another strikeout for Iwakuma, his fourth! The Blue-Gloved man reminds me of Juan Guzman as I said earlier. Tall big no. 3 hitter comes to the plate...

Hyun SOO Kim, who hit .357 with the Bears last season belts one up the middle...two out though, and a big swing by the cleanup hitter...big fly to the warning track, but to no avail....caught. That might have just made it out if the air wasn't so goddamn heavy...

Still 1-0 Japan.

FIFTH INNING...

Korea gives up the leadoff hit...with pitcher JungKeun Bong. He should hit a bong and end this game because this Asian game is driving me insane...BASE HIT AOKI, AND ONE QUESTIONS WHY THE STARTER WAS REMOVED...

1st and 3rd now...and the bongman is removed.

Korea, the Olympic Champions, have something to prove- that they can also win against the best in the world too...

Jojhima up, 1st and 3rd no out...and STRIKES HIM OUT!

1 down, huge out.

WOW, STRIKE HIM OUT THROW HIM OUT DOUBLE PLAY! KOREA GETS OUT OF THE FUCKING JAM!

WHAT A FOREIGN FIST PUMP FROM BONG BOY!

1-0 Japan.

Bottom half of the fifth...is now underway.

Welcome to the 2009 ASIANFEST in Los Angeles, Japan leads 1-0.

ASIANFESTIVUS, it's called, Joe, and I think these fans are having an Asianastic time!

HIT HARD TO CENTREFIELD, BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK, DEEP, DEEP, AND GONE! TIED AT ONE, A HOMERUN BY THE LEFTHANDED CHOO!

Iwakuma, who had seemed virtually unhittable other than a couple deep flies begins to unravel...

Man, what a solid job by the pitching staff of Korea to battle out of jams tonight, and allow their offense to catch up and tie the ball game...

After retiring the first 11 batters he faced, Iwakuma settles back in striking out the next hitter.

Shin Shoo Choo with 2 homeruns in the last two games...

WHAT A PLAY BY JAPAN'S LEFTFIELDER, A SLIDING SHORT HOP AND A THROW RIGHT ON THE MONEY TO GET THE MAN AT SECOND BASE, ROBBING THE KOREAN PLAYER OF A SURE DOUBLE! Replays indicate he may have been safe, but nevertheless, wow.

Now the third out of the inning on a pop up!

1-1 the score through five.

SIXTH INNING

Curt "douchebag" Schilling has retired after 20 seasons in baseball. How fucking awesome.

Romero went 5 IP allowed 7 hits and just two runs while striking out a half-dozen, and looks to be poised to continue his run for the Jays' rotation. You wonder with the setback to Casey Janssen and the blowup of Matt Clement whether Brett Cecil might have been able to still battle yet, but the Jays wouldn't waste an option at this point in the season.

A very very awesome ball game so far, in the very much hyped up 2009 World Baseball Classic. It's a 1-1 game in the 6th inning, and there's been plenty of defense and great pitching to escape jams!

This game has had everything and more that you could ask for.

A new righthander on the mound for Korea, and gets the first out of the inning, courtesy a nice play by the shortstop.

A little exchange between the Japanese manager and the home plate umpire, a pinch-hitter for the DH. Atsunori Inaba steps in.

That's how the game should be played, great pitching and great defense at all times, and Major League Baseball can learn from these two teams, practice makes perfect. Two Down now on yet another groundout.

The Tampa Bay Ray Iwamura steps in.

This Korean team has alot of International Experience, with 16 returning players from the '08 Olympic gold medal winning squad.

Korea will set down Iwamura on strikes though, and we head to the bottom half of the sixth.

Korea leads off the inning with a groundout...And Japan has not captalized tonight, just 2 for 9 with RISP and have left seven men on base, and in what could be a large Japan lead is a tie game with their nemesis Korea, having lost two games to them in the Classic.

Iwakuma continues to work against Korea, having just allowed three hits all game long.

Ball 4 call, and the first walk surrendered by the nearly unhittable Japanese ace. Iwakuma continuing to pitch well, there's a lot of life in his pitches yet, just push is coming to shove for Korea as their patience is finally paying off.

It is said that in a one-run game the manager usually determines the outcome, not the players, and Blue Jay fans look at John Gibbons and how many games he blew, and that was why he deserved to be fired.

The Korean baserunner playing a little game of suicide at first, barely able to get back into first base, only because the pickoff attempt was too high.

STRIKE 'EM OUT THROW 'EM OUT DOUBLE PLAY, THIS TIME BY JAPAN!

SO KOREA DOES IT ONCE, AND JAPAN RETURNS THE FAVOUR RIGHT BACK!

1-1 THRU SIX!

SEVENTH INNING HERE WE COME IN AN ABSOLUTELY EPIC WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC FINAL GAME ON THIS MONDAY NIGHT IN LOS ANGELES!

7TH INNING

The throw 'em out victim will stay in the game, he had hurt himself sliding into 2nd base, and also broke some of his helmet, and earlier in the classic took a shot right in the head and had to be taken out of the game!

What a tough guy, and Japan singles to lead off the seventh...the pesky singles team of Japan just won't go away...

Ichiro now up for the fourth time tonight...and the number nine man has stolen second! Now with the left-handers out of the game, Japan is going to run like crazy!

Ichiro bunts aboard! 1st and 3rd, and what a fucking bunt with nobody out still!

The number two man up, hitting .350 in the classic, Nakajima, and you just have to think that Korea can't escape yet another jam.

NAKAJIMA DRILLS IT INTO LEFT, 2-1 JAPAN! AND 1ST AND 2ND WITH NOBODY OUT FOR THE NUMBER THREE MAN AOKI...

Norishka has hit .338 in the Japan League in his five year career..

AOKI DRILLS IT TO RIGHT FIELD AND CAUGHT AT THE WALL BY THE RIGHT FIELDER, WHAT A FUCKING PLAY AND ICHIRO IS DOUBLED UP, AND ICHIRO HAS NO IDEA WHAT JUST HAPPENED. THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION AS IT APPEARS THAT KOREA HAS TRIED TO BUY AN OUT, NO, NO, NO, ICHIRO NEVER TAGGED, BUT HE'S STILL ON THIRD?

OKAY, SO HE DID APPARENTLY!

AND HOLY FUCK LOOK AT THIS, SOFT GROUNDER TO THIRD, THROW TO SECOND, WHAT A FUCKING PLAY TO GET THE RUNNER AT FIRST, A DOUBLE PLAY, AN INNING ENDER, AND KEEPS THE GAME 2-1 FOR JAPAN! KOREA HAS SURVIVED YET ANOTHER JAPAN ATTACK...YET ANOTHER BLOWN CALL BY THE UMPS AS THE MAN WAS SAFE AT FIRST BASE...

THAT'S THE FOURTH OR FIFTH BLOWN CALL OF THE GAME, AS THE UMP HAS MADE TWO QUESTIONABLE CALLS AT SECOND BASE, THIS ONE AT FIRST BASE, AND A PUNCHOUT BY IWAKUMA EARLIER THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY LOW BREAKING SHIT.

BUT HEY, REGARDLESS, THIS GAME IS HEADED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEVENTH WITH AUTHORITY...

APPARENTLY IT WAS INTERFERENCE AT SECOND BASE, AND THAT WAS WHY IT WAS A DOUBLE PLAY NO MATTER WHAT, A GREAT CALL TO BACK UP THE TWO MISTEPS THE SECOND BASE UMPIRE HAS HAD IN WHAT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING NIGHT OF CALLS.

Iwakuma is still pitching into the seventh inning for Japan, having just allowed three hits and one run along with one free pass, and gets the first man out of the inning on a lazy fly ball.

Korea has preached patience in this ball game, and I'm beginning wonder whether or not this strategy will pay off because how can Korea's defense continue to bail out it's team against attack after attack from Japan? It's absolutely unreal, a week worth of defensive highlights in one game!

And a deep fly out makes out number two...

Now the flyouts are starting to happen, and the manager is concerned just a little bit. Choo homered in his last at-bat, and could he hits this one well down the left field line, DEEP, DEEP, DEEP, BACK, BACK, but not deep enough, and it's the third out!

2-1 JAPAN headed to the 8th in this absolutely amazing game.

8TH INNING

The righty Jong continues to work for Korea, despite the difficulties of the seventh and a miraculous escape...

It is suprising that he is still in this game as he came in with nobody out in the fifth, and this flare down the left field line is just foul and unreachable.

Just a 68 MPH breaking ball falls for ball 3 in the dirt..

To give you an indication of how heated this rivarly has been between Japan and Korea, 8 out of the last 15 contests have been decided by two runs or less.

These are certainly the superior teams in the tournament, and it's certainly shown tonight, as Jong strikes out a man for the first out.

You have to wonder if the flip of the coin could certainly determine a pressure packed finish with Korea having the last at bat, but we are in the eighth and Japan must first find three outs before Korea can take a shot because Japan has just singled with one down...and now this seems to spell the end for Jong, who went 3 1/3 and masterfully executed himself out of jams like no other.

It almost seems as if Korea is like the Netherlands in this game, the pesky team that keeps themselves in the game and just won't go away, but can't seem to muster enough offense to take a lead or tie it up quite yet.

AND ANOTHER ODD PLAY, AS THE BALL GOES STRAIGHT DOWN THE 1ST BASE LINE AND TAKES A STRANGE HOP INTO THE STANDS, AND THE CALL IS A GROUND RULE DOUBLE AND PUTS JAPANESE RUNNERS ON SECOND AND THIRD WITH ONE OUT...AND NOW CAN KOREA ESCAPE YET ANOTHER DIFFICULT JAM? THAT BALL JUST GOT UNDER THE GLOVE OF THE FIRST BASEMAN.

KOREA MUST FIND A WAY TO STOP THE BLEEDING.

lLEFTY LEFTY, THE BALL HIT INTO LEFT FIELD! THE THROW......OFF-LINE, AND JAPAN HAS PICKED UP AN INSURANCE RUN TO MAKE IT 3-1!

JAPAN NOW LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, AND WHILE THEIR RISP FUTILTY CONTINUES, 4 FOR 13 IN THE GAME, THEY JUST NEED SIX OUTS TO DISPOSE OF KOREA AND GET THEIR SECOND WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC IN THREE YEARS!

It's another fantastic play by the Korean shortstop to end the inning on an up the middle ground ball, and we'll head to the bottom of 8 with the score Japan 3, Korea 1.

Jesus, what a game, the excitement is winning over my words.

Finally get a water break.

Iwakuma works into the 8th inning, having pitched seven very very good innings, and maybe pehraps this was a mistake as a long leadoff double begins the inning for Korea, who seems to have not given up HOPE!

Korea will not go down with a fight, as IWAKUMA CONTINUES TO STAY IN THE GAME WITH A MAN ON SECOND and a big man for Korea at the plate...in Young Min Ko, who is already 1 for 2 in the game with a single.

Iwakuma has mowed down the Korean lineup, this is just Ko's 3rd at-bat, and KO HITS A TOWERING FLY BALL INTO NO MAN'S LAND IN FOUL TERRITORY!

SECOND CHANCE GRANTED AS KO LIVES TO SEE ANOTHER DAY, and how close was that to a fair ball?

The BULLPEN warms for Japan as it appears Iwakuma is beginning to lose it, despite the bad luck of the pop up falling between the fielder, but the leadoff double along with a series of hard hit balls the last few innings has to be of concern.

Ko gets the leadoff man over to third, and there's one away. Iwakuma still staying in the game....DARVISH is warming in the pen. A fresh arm might mean a fresh exit for Korea.

DAE HO LEE comes into to pinch hit...and you have to wonder why Darvish hasn't been summoned yet, there is astounding faith in the Japanese starter Iwakuma who has now worked 7 1/3...and with the Korean fans back to life Iwakuma faces his toughest test tonight.

A BOMB TO CENTRE, BACK, BACK, BACK, AND HE MAKES THE STUMBLING GRAB! BUT NOT BEFORE KOREA SCORES A RUN ON THE SACRAFICE FLY TO MAKE IT A 3-2 JAPAN LEAD...

Even after all of this, and now the bases clear, it makes more sense to keep Iwakuma in the game and finish off the 8th, because you might as well have Darvish start off fresh in the 9th, or whoever Japan would love to throw out there to close it.

But Iwakuma can't even find the strike zone against the number nine hitter, falling behind 3-0. A strike now, but this is concerning. The last thing you want is for Korea to tie it up at 3 headed towards the 9th even though they pose almost no threat to do so right now, just imagine what that would mean...

Now the tying run on first base as Iwakuma gives up the walk....

The end of the line for Iwakuma, goes 7 2/3, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs, and in his third starting performance against Korea is given the send-off of graciousness by the Japanese fans on hand.

Even with a few empty seats out there, it's the largest WBC CROWD EVER, 54,846 ON HAND, AND THE TOTAL ATTENDANCE OVER 801,000 FANS THIS TOURNAMENT!

Toshiya Sugiuchi comes on for Japan, having thrown 6 innings in 4 games this World Baseball Classic not allowing a run and having a 3:1 K/BB ratio...

Young Ku Lee, the leadoff man comes up for the fourth time tonight, and a man on first base.

A lefty-lefty matchup as pitch number two is fouled off...

1-1 count...

The Japanese pitcher failing to get ahead of the Korean, 2-1 now, and despite the 1.22 ERA of the Japanese bullpen throughout the tournament over 37 innings...

It's going to be an awfully tough task for Korea to muster one more run to perhaps send this game to extras.

LINED INTO LEFT, BASE HIT WRITTEN ALL OVER IT, BUT RIGHT AT THE LEFT FIELDER, AND JAPAN LEADS 3-2 HEADED TO THE NINTH...

9TH INNING..

AS WE APPROACH WHAT MIGHT JUST BE A NERVOUS NINTH..

THIS GAME HAS BEEN ONE FOR THE AGES, DEFENSE FOLLOWED BY CLUTCH PITCHING AND CLUTCH DEFENSE, AND THE INABILITY OF JAPAN TO CASH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION, JUST FOUR OF THIRTEEN IN THE GAME.

CHANG YONG LIM now in the game for Korea, hoping to shut down the Japanese and turn it over to the 2-3-4 hitters, the meat of the order in the bottom of the ninth against Japan's Closer, Darvish.

AND HOW CLOSE WAS THAT TO GOING OUT OF THE BALLPARK? ICHIRO HIT THAT ONE OFF THE TOP OF THE WALL AND IS IN AT SECOND WITH A STAND-UP DOUBLE.

Korea has to escape yet another nobody out and threatning jam...to have a shot against Darvish in their half of the 9th, and you can bet that Japan is going to bunt, but you can't bunt the runner over when you bunt the ball into your face!

now 1-2, AND WHAT A DIVING GRAB BY THE SECOND BASEMAN TO KEEP THIS GAME FROM GOING JAPAN'S WAY...

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH DEFENSE. SUCH AN OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE BY THE KOREAN TEAM, DETERMINED TO WIN, EVEN IN THE LIGHT OF JAPAN'S RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF RUNS

INTENTIONAL WALK TO AOKI sets up JOJHIMA, the Seattle Mariner with 1st and 2nd and 1 out...

Japan just 4 for 15 now with RISP, and it just continues to get worse as Japan continues to blow opportunities, but one swing of the bat could erase just that here...

And if Korea were to come back and tie this game one could point the blame on Japan's NUMEROUS wasted opportunties in almost every inning tonight....

4 for 16 now, as Jojhima has popped out to centre, and the KOREANS are once again one out away from escaping a Japan assault.

MICHICHIRO UP TO BAT..OUTSIDE CORNER FOR STRIKE ONE!

ALMOST WILD FOR BALL ONE, WAY UP THERE, AND HOW COSTLY COULD HAVE THAT BEEN..and now ball 2...now fouled off 2-2...

STRUCK OUT THE MICHICHIRO AND THE KOREANS HAVE ESCAPED JAPAN'S RUNNER IN SCORING POSITION 13 TIMES TONIGHT VERSUS 4....JAPAN JUST 4 FOR 17 WITH RISP OVER NINE INNINGS, BUT WILL IT BITE THEM IN THE FOOT IN THE NINTH INNING?

THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED BY THE 2-3-4 DEATH ROW OF KOREA..IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH AND MORE..

A LITTLE MANAGER TRICKERY GOING ON, ALLOWING THE LEFT HANDED PITCHER TO WARM UP TO BEGIN THE NINTH INNING TRYING TO PROVOKE THE HAND OF KOREA TO PINCH HIT...A RIGHTY.

BUT IT WILL BE DARVISH...to face the 2-3-4 mashdown of KOREA...

STRIKEOUT BY DARVISH, ONE AWAY, NASTY SLIDER...

DARVISH FALLING BEHIND TO THE NUMBER THREE MAN, 2 BALLS AND NO STRIKES, THE TALL RIGHTY MAKES IT 3-0....

AND KOREA COULD POTENTIALLY GET A MAN ON HERE WITH ONE OUT AND PUT THE TYING RUN ON. BALL 4!

KOREA WITH THE TYING RUN AT 1ST AND THE WINNING RUN AT THE PLATE...

SPEEDY GUY ON FIRST NOW, PINCH RUNNER, HE COULD STEAL, WOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE..KOREA'S GOTTA DO WHAT IT TAKES..

HE SHOULD HAVE GONE!

DARVISH LOSING COMMAND, MAKING FOR A NERVOUS NINTH FALLING BEHIND 2-0 TO THE CLEAN UP MAN KIM!

3-0 NOW AS DARVISH HAS THROWN SEVEN STRAIGHT BALLS, AND THIS GAME IS GETTING MORE INTENSE BY THE PITCH...

3-1 AS DARVISH BATTLES BACK, RUNNER GOES, BUT BALL FOUR...QUESTIONABLE CALL..

AND NOW IT'S CHOO WHO HOMERED IN THE GAME EARLIER, KOREA PULLING OUT THE STOPS WITH PINCH RUNNERS ON 1ST AND 2ND NOW, A WELL HIT DOUBLE COULD WIN THE GAME!

DARVISH, NO CONTROL AT ALL, EIGHT OF HIS LAST NINE FOR BALLS..

ONE DOWN, 1ST AND 2ND..

0-2 TO CHOO.....GREAT CUT FASTBALL..DARVISH STEPPING IT UP WHEN NECCESSARY...

FOULED BACK AS CHOO STAYS ALIVE IN THIS AMAZING GAME..

CAN THE KOREANS CASH A RUN?

DARVISH K'S THE CHOO AND NOW TWO DOWN!

CAN THE KOREANS, DOWN TO THEIR FINAL OUT, PRODUCE THE MAGIC TO TIE UP THIS GAME? CERTAINLY A BASE HIT COULD DO IT...

BALL ONE TO THE NUMBER SIX MAN...

DARVISH 1-0 TO THE HITTER...NOW 1-1....

THE KOREANS NOT JUMPING ON DARVISH, ELECTING TO BE PATIENT...

LASHED INTO LEFT FIELD, KOREA SCORES! TIE GAME AT 3 AND DARVISH HAS BLOWN THE SAVE! SEOUL, KOREA GOES NUTS, AND THIS HAS BEEN A GAME OF UNBELIEVABLE PROPROTIONS, AND JUST WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE JAPAN WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, KOREA, THROUGH AMAZING DEFENSE, AND A RUN IN THE EIGHTH AND NINTH TO TIE IT UP AT 3!

AND NOW KOREA HAS A CHANCE TO WIN THE GAME!

1ST AND 2ND, RIPPED DOWN THE FIRST BASE LINE FOUL, AND THE KOREANS DANCE TO THE FOULB ALL...

SWINGS AND MISSES, EXTRA INNINGS, 3-3 TIE, DARVISH ESCAPES...

BUT NOT BEFORE KOREA TIED IT UP...

10TH INNING...

In the grandest game of the WBC, Japan lead off the 10th with a bloop single, followed by a sac bunt to advance the runner to second with one out...

IWAMURA SLASHES ONE INTO LEFT, HIT WAY TOO HARD FOR THE RUNNER TO GET HOME THOUGH, AND 1ST AND 3RD WITH ONE OUT...

WHEN WILL KOREA'S MASTERY OF ESCAPING JAMS FINALLY RUN DRY?

3-3...10TH INNING...AND A POP UP MAKES TWO DOWN NOW, AS KOREA IS ONCE AGAIN ONE OUT AWAY FROM ESCAPING A REMARKABLE JAM, AND ELEVEN RUNNERS STRANDED TONIGHT BY KOREAN PITCHING..

ICHIRO, WHO DOUBLED OFF THE WALL IN THE NINTH INNING could put JAPAN ahead here...

1:18 AM EST here in Guelph, Canada, and almost four hours since this game began this live blog is still going strong.

RUNNER GOES, AND NOW 2ND AND THIRD FOR JAPAN WITH TWO OUT, TWO MEN IN SCORING POSITION...VITAL FOR KOREA...TO STRAND.

TENSE MOMENTS FOR KOREA, 1-2, ICHIRO STILL BATTLING WITH TWO STRIKES...

ICHIRO FOULS A BALL OFF THE GROUND...AND ANOTHER ONE...

ICHIRO FINALLY FUCKING GETS ONE THROUGH AND JAPAN TAKES A 5-3 FUCKING LEAD, AND KOREA'S MAGIC HAS RUN DRY 5AS THE GENIE IN THE BOTTLE HAS TAKEN IT BACK...

ONLY ALADDIN CAN SAVE KOREA NOW...

INTENTIONAL WALK LOADS THE BASES...

FIFTEEN HITS FOR JAPAN, TEN MORE THAN KOREA...AND FINALLY IN THE 10TH JAPAN BROKE THROUGH WITH A 2-RUN SINGLE OFF THE BAT OF ICHIRO TO MAKE IT 5-3...AS JOJHIMA GOES DOWN ON STRIKES....0 FOR 5 TONIGHT!

CAN KOREA FIND YET ANOTHER WEAPON?

I DID NOT THINK SO, AS DARVISH SHUTS DOWN THE SIDE....

JAPAN IS YOUR VICTOR.