If you were to poll the globe prior to the World Baseball Classic, Korea would have been one of the last countries many would've expected to start the tournament with two losses. But that's exactly the position the Pool A host country and former favorite finds itself on Tuesday, after a 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands in front of a stunned crowd at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. 
Jurickson Profar and Randolph Obuder launched two-run homers andAndrelton Simmons drove in a run and scored another in support of five pitchers for a Dutch team looking to advance out of pool play for the third consecutive World Baseball Classic. Now nearly a decade removed from its global coming out party in 2009, the Netherlands entered the tournament a trendy favorite after finishing fourth overall in 2013.
Jurickson Profar and Randolph Obuder launched two-run homers andAndrelton Simmons drove in a run and scored another in support of five pitchers for a Dutch team looking to advance out of pool play for the third consecutive World Baseball Classic. Now nearly a decade removed from its global coming out party in 2009, the Netherlands entered the tournament a trendy favorite after finishing fourth overall in 2013.Which is why Tuesday's matchup was billed as a powerhouse matchup: An early-tournament treat between two teams with legitimate championship chances. Korea's, instead, are in grave danger now after two losses in two days on its home soil. Korea lost to Classic rookie Israel in the tournament opener. The top two teams will advance to the second round.Looking to start their tournament strong, the Netherlands handed the ball to former Major League starter Rick van den Hurk, who spent the past two seasons pitching in Japan. Van den Hurk allowed three hits and walked two over four shutout innings. Diegomar Markwell, Shairon Martis, Tom Stuifbergen and Leok va Mil combined to limit Korea to just three scattered hits over the final five frames.Korea, with top-three finishes in the first two World Baseball Classics but didn't advance out of pool play in 2013, scored one run over its first two games, a span of 19 innings.MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDMLBers lead the Dutch: The strength of the Dutch roster comes from its core of talented Major League middle infielders: Xander Bogaerts, Profar, Simmons, Didi Gregorius and Jonathan Schoop. Manager Hensley Muelens had to get creative to get them all in the lineup, sticking Profar in center field, Bogaerts at third and Gregorius at designated hitter. But it payed off. Simmons, Profar and Bogaerts began the game with consecutive hits -- Profar's a two-run homer -- and Simmons drove in another run in the second with a double to give the Netherlands an early 3-0 lead against losing pitcher Kyu Min Woo.Both sides of the ball: Those big leaguers flashed the leather as well to help the Netherlands keep that early lead. The former Platinum Glove winner Simmons snared a sharp grounder for the game's first out and started a nifty double play with Schoop two innings later to help starter van den Hurk out of a jam.Slumping sluggers: Korean manager In-Sik Kim made examples of sluggers Tae-Kyun Kim and Dae-Ho Lee after Korea's loss to Israel in Game 1, saying "Today, our No. 3 hitter and No. 4 hitter failed their mission. That's why we had just only one run." Lee managed an early single for his first hit of the Classic on Tuesday, but for the most part, the heart of the lineup went silent again. Kim and Lee have combined to go 1-for-16 with four strikeouts and nine left on base over the first two games.WHAT'S NEXT
Korea: Korea is off on Wednesday before it plays its final game of pool play on Thursday against Chinese Taipei. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 a.m ET.Netherlands: Next up for the Netherlands is a matchup with Chinese Taipei on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 a.m. ET.The World Baseball Classic runs through March 22. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premiumsubscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.
Joe Trezza /MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
