The power was great. Dane Dunning (Seattle Mariners) predicted his performance at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

The South Korean national baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, is playing an exhibition match against the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB) at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd.

This match is an official warm-up match organized by the WBC Secretariat. Ryu Ji-hyun, who drew 3-3 with the Hanshin Tigers in the warm-up match the previous day (2nd), will start the tournament schedule after playing the final mock test against Orix on the same day.

The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is pitching hard. Photo = Yonhap News 사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is pitching hard. Photo = Yonhap News The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is heading to the dugout after finishing the bottom of the first inning without allowing a run. Photo = Yonhap News 사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is heading to the dugout after finishing the bottom of the first inning without allowing a run. Photo = Yonhap News

Korean-American Dane Dunning (Seattle Mariners), born to an American father and a Korean mother, will be the starting pitcher against Orix. Called by the Washington Nationals as the 29th overall first round in the 2016 draft, he is a right-hander who has since gone through the Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2020 and recorded 28 wins, 32 losses, 2 saves and an ERA of 4.44 in 136 big league games (593.1 innings).

Dunning is expected to play as a starter or long relief in this WBC. Before the game, manager Ryu Ji-hyun said of Dunning’s pitching plan, “We see it based on two to three innings and 45 pitches.”

Dunning was in good form in the bottom of the first inning. The leadoff hitter Mune Yuma had a hit in the middle, but he blocked Ryoma Nishikawa (right-handed fly), Kotaro Kurebayashi (three strikeouts), and Ryo Otari (a ground ball to second base) in turn.

He was clean even in the bottom of the second inning. Led Bob Seymour to center field fly. Hirooka Daishi gave up a double on the right-field line, but Keita Nakagawa and Ryu Sugisawa were handled with a grounder to shortstop and a fly to center field, respectively.

The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is pitching hard. Photo = Yonhap News 사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is pitching hard. Photo = Yonhap News

In the bottom of the third inning, he did not falter despite the bad luck of his mistakes. Sho Fukunaka and Mune were led to a grounder to shortstop and a grounder to second base, respectively, but errors by Kim Joo-won (NC Dinos) and Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers) drove them to first and third bases with no outs. Fortunately, he completed his mission without losing a point by turning Nishikawa (second baseman fly), Gurebayashi (striker fly), and Ota (striker ground ball) in succession.

The final result was three hits, one strikeout and no run in three innings. The total number of pitches was 37. South Korea called left-hander Song Seung-ki (LG Twins) to the mound in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Meanwhile, South Korea is currently ahead 7-3 with the top of the fifth inning underway. In the top of the second inning, Park Dong-won (LG) scored six points with a timely RBI, Kim Joo-won’s ground ball RBI, Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers)’ three-run left-center wall, and Ahn Hyun-min (KT Wiz)’s one-run timely hit. Later, Song Seung-ki recorded three earned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Shay Witcom (Houston Astros) drew a left-center solo arch in the top of the fifth inning.

The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is heading to the dugout after finishing the bottom of the first inning without allowing a run. Photo = Yonhap News 사진 확대 The World Baseball Classic warm-up match between the Korean national team and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese professional baseball league took place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd. South Korean starting pitcher Dane Dunning is heading to the dugout after finishing the bottom of the first inning without allowing a run. Photo = Yonhap News

[Lee Hanjoo, MK Sports Reporter]