Rui Muneyama Homers Twice as Japan Answers Korea Rally in 9-5 APBC Win

Rui Muneyama hit two home runs and drove in five as Japan beat South Korea 9-5 at the Tokyo Dome on Friday, November 13, answering a four-run Korean comeback with four runs of its own in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Korea erased a 5-1 deficit in the top of the eighth, but Muneyama immediately changed the game again. The 23-year-old Rakuten Eagles shortstop launched a go-ahead three-run homer to right field, his second home run in consecutive plate appearances, before Koki Yamaguchi added an RBI double.

• Final score: Japan 9, South Korea 5
• Key performer: Rui Muneyama went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs
• Records: Japan improved to 2-0; Korea fell to 0-2
• Venue: Tokyo Dome, with an announced crowd of 38,385

Muneyama answers Korea’s four-run eighth

Japan appeared to have control when Muneyama hit a two-run homer in the seventh to extend the lead to 5-1. Korea then produced its strongest inning of the tournament.

Han Dong-hee drove in a run with a single before Kim Hwi-jip tied the game with a three-run homer. The blast completed a four-run rally and briefly shifted the pressure back onto Japan after seven innings of chasing the game.

Japan’s response came with two outs in the bottom half. After Shinya Hasegawa was hit by a pitch, Taiga Kojima moved him over with a sacrifice bunt and Tomoya Masaki was intentionally walked. Muneyama then drove a pitch over the right-field wall for a three-run homer and an 8-5 lead.

Misho Nishikawa followed with a single and scored on Yamaguchi’s double, completing the second four-run half-inning in succession. Hibiki Shinohara retired Korea in order in the ninth to finish the win.

Japan’s early home-run lead disappears and returns

Korea opened the scoring in the third inning when Han homered off Japan starter Kazuyuki Takemaru. Masaki answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot, continuing his powerful start to the tournament after his two-homer performance against Chinese Taipei.

Kojima added a solo homer in the sixth, and Muneyama’s first home run of the night made it 5-1 one inning later. Japan finished with 10 hits and four home runs, while Korea collected eight hits and two homers.

The late exchange meant Shunya Morita received the win despite pitching during Korea’s tying rally. Kim Young-woo took the loss after allowing Muneyama’s decisive home run.

Muneyama becomes Japan’s early APBC centerpiece

Muneyama has now delivered three-hit games on consecutive nights. He went 3-for-5 with a home run in Japan’s 5-0 opening victory over Chinese Taipei, then matched that hit total while increasing the damage against Korea.

Through two games, the left-handed hitter is 6-for-10 with three home runs and six RBIs. His ability to answer Korea’s biggest rally gave Japan a second straight win and strengthened its position in the four-team preliminary round.

Japan will face Australia on Saturday, November 14, while Korea plays Chinese Taipei later that day. The top two teams advance to Sunday’s championship game, with the remaining teams meeting in the third-place game.