Osaka: South Korean starter Gwak Been blamed his subpar outing in an exhibition game Monday ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) on his trouble commanding his secondary pitches. Gwak was charged with three runs on three hits and a walk in two innings, as South Korea and the Hanshin Tigers ended in a 3-3 tie at Kyocera Dome in Osaka.

According to Yonhap News Agency, it was the first of South Korea's two exhibition games in Osaka, with another Japanese club, the Orix Buffaloes, up next at noon Tuesday. South Korea opens the WBC on Thursday against the Czech Republic at Tokyo Dome and Gwak will likely get the nod Sunday against Chinese Taipei.

The right-hander started strong, pumping fastballs in the bottom of the first inning, touching 156 kilometers per hour and retiring the side in order on just 11 pitches. Gwak's teammates had already spotted him a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. However, he couldn't maintain the lead in the second inning, when the Tigers scored three times as Gwak struggled with his curveballs and other secondary offerings.

With one out in the second, Gwak walked Ukyo Maegawa and then gave up a single to Hayato Nakagawa. With runners at the corners, Nozomu Takatera hit a sacrifice fly for the Tigers' first run. Dan Onodera followed with a double to left field, tying the game, as left fielder Jahmai Jones nearly made an acrobatic diving grab but had the ball go off his glove. Torai Fushimi then knocked in the go-ahead run with a single.

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun had hoped Gwak would cover up to three innings on 50 to 60 pitches. However, Gwak lasted only two innings on 35 pitches, forcing Ryu to summon his bullpen earlier than planned. "In the first inning, I felt confident the hitters wouldn't be able to make contact so easily. I was able to hit the spots that I wanted," Gwak said. "But in the second inning, I wasn't able to command my breaking balls. I kept falling behind in the count and put myself in situations where I had to throw a fastball."

Gwak expressed his frustration with himself for leaving too many pitches in the heart of the zone. "I tried too hard not to give up walks," he added. "I should have been more aggressive with my fastballs." Despite pitching with a broken nail in the second inning, Gwak insisted it wasn't the reason for his poor command. "This is not going to affect me in my next outing," Gwak said. "It's good to get a bad game out of the way early. I think I will be better the next time out."