Osaka: South Korea manager Ryu Ji-hyun expressed satisfaction with his pitchers' performance during the team's first exhibition game ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Japan. South Korea played to a 3-3 tie against the Hanshin Tigers at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, marking their first official tuneup game after a series of scrimmages against Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs in Okinawa.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean team is scheduled to face the Orix Buffaloes next at noon on Tuesday before heading to Tokyo for the WBC opener against the Czech Republic on Thursday. Ryu highlighted the improvement in his pitchers' performance, noting the better flow and quality of their game compared to the previous camp in Okinawa.

Starting pitcher Gwak Been had a scoreless first inning but conceded three runs in the second. However, the following six pitchers-Noh Kyung-eun, Son Ju-young, Ko Young-pyo, Ryu Hyun-jin, Park Yeong-hyun, and Kim Taek-yeon-managed to keep the game level by delivering seven scoreless innings.

Ryu also acknowledged the strong batting performance from his lineup. Kim Do-yeong, the 2024 KBO MVP, stood out with a solo home run and an infield hit, continuing his form from Okinawa where he also hit a homer. Ryu expressed confidence in Kim's ability to maintain his performance.

U.S.-born players of Korean descent, Jahmai Jones and Shay Whitcomb, had their first practice with the national team on Sunday. While they were mostly contained during the game, Ryu remained optimistic about their future contributions, noting they have only been with the team for a short time.