Israel Beats Korea In Game One Of The World Baseball Classic

First baseman Ike Davis is the team’s most experience hitter, with 81 major league homers, but he played only eight games with the Yankees last season. Both pitchers stayed under 50 pitches, with Marquis ending his day at 45 pitches and Zeid at 49.

Korea would tie the game up off of Mets minor league reliever Zack Thornton in the fifth inning.

Meanwhile, South Korea once again couldn’t translate its rallies into runs.

The score remained that way until the tenth inning when former Cubs pitcher Chang-Yong Lim took the mound for Team Korea.

“Definitely the most stressful game I’ve ever been a part of”.

It’s here! The 2017 World Baseball Classic begins with Israel defying the odds and besting two of toughest teams in Pool A.

Starter Ayumu Ishikawa gave up just one run in four innings to secure the win.

But Israel put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh when they plated five runs.

Israeli manager Jerry Weinstein said after the game that this is the type of offense he expected from the squad.

The tournament is a shared venture of Major League Baseball and the Players Association, predicated upon the sport’s global scope.

Profar started in center field and handled all three chances. Zeid got the win for his outstanding relief stint, going three shutout innings, allowing only one hit, walking two and striking out four. Taipei scored four in the bottom of the inning, bringing the final score to 15 – 7.

“One of the main goals of the tournament is to grow baseball around the world, and by allowing these countries that maybe don’t have the great amount of talent, by allowing these guidelines and entrance rules, you allow countries like Israel, where baseball is still growing”. The good luck charm, which is a life-sized version of a toy imitating the more widely known “Elf on the Shelf” Christmas figure, is still traveling with the team and pitching in everywhere he can.

Looking ahead, the Netherlands returns to action for a clash with Chinese Taipei on Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. ET.

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Australia, China, Cuba and Japan will meet in Pool B at the Tokyo Dome from March 7 to 11, while Pool C sees defending champions Dominican Republic face Canada, Colombia and the United States at Marlins Park in Miami from March 9 to 13.