TOKYO (AP) — Defending champion Japan hit four home runs — two by Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki — to beat South Korea 8-6 on Saturday and stay undefeated in Pool C of the World Baseball Classic.

kAmq@E9 E62>D D9@H65 >@C6 A@H6C E92? A:E49:?8[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 😕 E96 7:CDE 7@FC :??:?8D 😕 2 D=F876DE 2D E96 EH@ 4@>3:?65 7@C 7:G6 9@>6 CF?D E@AA65 3J $FKF<:’D A2:C 2E E96 %@6]k^Am

kAmy2A2? 2?5 pFDEC2=:2 2C6 a\_ 😕 !@@= r A=2J 2?5 >66E $F?52J 2D E96 EH@ 72G@C:E6D E@ 25G2?46 E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D] x? $F?52J’D @E96C 82>6[ $@FE9 z@C62 W`\`X 7246D %2:H2? W`\aX]k^Am

kAm$@FE9 z@C62 E@@< 2 b\_ =625 😕 E96 E@A @7 E96 7:CDE :??:?8 @77 DE2CE6C *FD6: z:[ y29>2: y@?6D 2?5 yF?8 w@@ {66 2?5 2 EH@\CF? 5@F3=6 3J q@ vJ6@?8 |@@?]k^Am

kAm$FKF<: 9:E 2 EH@\CF? 9@>6C 😕 E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 :??:?8 E@ AF== y2A2? 324< E@ b\a]k^Am

kAmy2A2? DFC865 29625 d\b 😕 E96 E9:C5 @? D@=@ 9@>6 CF?D 3J ~9E2?:[ $FKF<: 2?5 *@D9:52]k^Am

kAm$@FE9 z@C62 A=2J65 :ED @H? 9@>6\CF? 56C3J 😕 E96 E@A @7 E96 7@FCE9[ 5C2H:?8 6G6? d\d @? wJ6D6@?8 z:>’D EH@\CF? 9@>6C @77 y2A2?’D D64@?5 A:E496C[ w:C@>: xE@9] xE H2D E96 7:7E9 9@>6 CF? 36EH66? E96 EH@ E62>D E9C@F89 7@FC :??:?8D]k^Am

kAmy2A2? 3C@<6 E9C@F89 😕 E96 D6G6?E9 E@ =625 g\d] *@F?8 zJF z:>[ H9@ 6?E6C65 😕 C6=:67 62C=:6C 😕 E96 :??:?8[ H2=<65 $FKF<: H:E9 E96 32D6D =@2565 E@ 7@C46 😕 2 CF?[ 2?5 *@D9:52 7@==@H65 H:E9 2 D:?8=6 E@ D4@C6 EH@ >@C6]k^Am

kAm%96 z@C62?D D4@C65 @?6 😕 E96 6:89E9 E@ >2<6 :E g\e 3FE =67E E96 32D6D =@2565 H96? *F<: |2EDF>@E@ DECF4< @FE wJ6D6@?8 z:>]k^Am

kAmpEDF<: %2?6:49: H2D E96 H:??:?8 A:E496C H:E9 2 D2G6 7@C %2:D6: ~E2] *6@?8 wJF? !2C< E@@< E96 =@DD]k^Am

kAm}6H t?8=2?5 !2EC:@ED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DFA6C\3@H=\5C2<6\>2J6\4_7ee33b6“_5hg7aagh4b_cg`g_b5b5QmBF2CE6C324< sC2<6 |2J6k^2m H2D 2E E96 82>6 @? $2EFC52J] ~? uC:52J[ 24E@C %:>@E9é6 r92=2>6E 2?5 A@A D:?86C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^325\3F??J\DFA6C\3@H=\a_ae\92=7E:>6\D9@H\C6G:6H\7345b577d_2c4e3_dcg372cf`aeff63_Qmq25 qF??Jk^2m D9@H65 FA]k^Am

k9amu2:C49:=5VD 8C2?5 D=2> A@H6CD %2:H2? E@ `c\_ H:?k^9am

kAm$EF2CE u2:C49:=5VD D64@?5\:??:?8 8C2?5 D=2> A@H6C65 %2:H2? E@ 2 `c\_ G:4E@CJ @G6C E96 H:?=6DD rK649 #6AF3=:4]k^Am

kAm%96 G:4E@CJ H2D %2:H2?VD 7:CDE 😕 E96 E@FC?2>6?E 2?5 42>6 E96 52J 27E6C :E H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D9@96:\@9E2?:\H@C=5\32D632==\4=2DD:4\H34\e6ef32e_34f3e5g3cdfd5hegc477f77cQmA@F?565 `b\_ 3J y2A2?k^2m]k^Am

kAm%96 82>6 H2D DE@AA65 3J E96 >6C4J CF=6 H:E9 %2:H2? =625:?8 3J `_ @C >@C6 27E6C D6G6? :??:?8D]k^Am

kAm%2:H2? A=2J65 D>2== 32== 7@C 2 a\_ =625 😕 E96 7:CDE :??:?8[ 42A:E2=:K:?8 @? EH@ 3F?E D:?8=6D[ 2 5@F3=6 DE62= 2?5 2 E9C@H:?8 6CC@C 3J rK649 42E496C |2CE:? r6CG6?<2] xE H2D %2:H2?VD 7:CDE EH@ CF?D @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am

kAmxE H2D 3:8 32== 😕 E96 D64@?5 :??:?8]k^Am

kAm(:E9 EH@ @FE[ rK649 A:E496C y2? }@G2< 82G6 FA 2 D:?8=6 2?5 H2=<65 EH@[ D6EE:?8 E96 DE286 7@C u2:C49:=5VD 3=2DE]k^Am

kAmr96? +9@?8\p@ +9F2?8 8@E E96 G:4E@CJ 2?5 }@G2< H2D E96 =@D:?8 A:E496C]k^Am

kAm%2:H2? 25565 EH@ >@C6 CF?D 😕 E96 7@FCE9[ 2?@E96C 😕 E96 7:7E9 2?5 7:G6 😕 E96 D:IE9] %96J 2=D@ D6E 2 (qr E@FC?2>6?E C64@C5 H:E9 D6G6? DE@=6? 32D6D]k^Am

kAmu2:C49:=5[ H9@ BF2=:7:65 7@C E96 E62> E9C@F89 9:D %2:H2?6D6 >@E96C[ A=2JD 😕 E96 r=6G6=2?5 vF2C5:2?D @C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.