Korea has beaten Japan in a dramatic win in the World Baseball Classic:

Lee Seung-yeop, South Korea’s leading slugger and a professional in the Japanese baseball league, didn’t miss an opportunity every Korean fan wanted but few expected. Lee, 30, belted a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift Korea to a 3-2 win over the Asian powerhouse Japan in Group A competition at the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo, Sunday.

“I was just trying to stay focused,” said Lee. “Japan is a very strong team and hopefully we’ll be able beat them again in the United States.”

Major League pitcher Park Chan-ho sealed the come-from-behind victory, also South Korea’s top spot in Group A competition, by retiring the final three Japanese batters for his second save in the inaugural tournament. The San Diego Padres hurler finished the Japanese team by retiring Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle mariners with a pop-up to the shortstop.

South Korea and Japan will move to Anaheim, Calif., for the quarterfinals, which will start on Sunday. The Asian representatives will vie for the two berths to the semifinals with the qualifiers from Group B, where the United States, Mexico, Canada and South Africa compete.

Lee Seung-yeop is proving to be on clutch hitter. He was also clutch last year in the Japanese League where he helped his team the Chiba Lotte Marines win the Japanese championship. Park Chan-ho also appears to have found a new niche for him by being a reliever. I wonder if the Padres will consider using him as a reliever now as well? Both teams move on to the quarterfinals but I would love to see a Japan vs. Korea final.