Korea’s Crushing 0-10 Loss to Dominican Republic: What Went Wrong in the WBC Quarterfinal?

Daniel Kim 2026.03.14 Views

Photo: Getty Images

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young] South Korea’s national baseball team fell to one of the tournament’s most feared lineups, and more than the elimination, costly defensive mistakes at key moments stung.

Managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, Korea lost 0-10 to the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 14 (KST), with the game ended by the run rule in the seventh inning.

Korea had ridden a dramatic 7-2 win over Australia in the first round into the quarterfinals and hoped to carry that momentum into the semifinals. Instead, they ran into a wall. The Dominican Republic will face the winner of the U.S.-Canada matchup in the semis.

The matchup looked lopsided from the start. The Dominican lineup is packed with MLB stars — Juan Soto (New York Mets), Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado (San Diego Padres) among them — and came in as the tournament’s most dangerous offense.

Korea’s starter Ryu Hyun-jin was charged with the loss after 1 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and three runs. The bullpen didn’t stabilize things, surrendering seven more runs.

The offense couldn’t get untracked either. Facing Dominican starter Christopher Sanchez, Korea managed just two hits and one walk across five innings and struck out eight times.

Defensive miscues amplified the damage. Instead of stopping rallies, Korea’s plays handed the opposition momentum at crucial moments.

In the bottom of the second, with the game scoreless and one out, Junior Caminero ripped a left-center double off Ryu. First-base runner Vladimir Guerrero Jr. charged home. On the relay, shortstop Kim Joo-won’s throw home sailed left, and catcher Park Dong-won missed the tag, allowing the game’s first run.

With one out and runners at the corners, Ryu induced a grounder to shortstop, but the runner at third still scored. Tatis Jr. followed with an RBI single, and the lead swelled to 3-0.

More frustrating plays followed in the third. Leadoff hitter Juan Soto lined a single to center off No Kyung-eun, and Guerrero Jr. doubled. Soto charged home on the play. Center fielder Lee Jung-hoo fielded it and made a clean relay to shortstop Kim Joo-won, who delivered to catcher Park Dong-won in time for what appeared to be a perfect tag.

Soto, however, avoided Park’s tag and touched home with his right hand. His heads-up baserunning produced another run and deflated Korea.

The bullpen — No Kyung-eun, Park Young-hyun, Kwak Bin and Dunning — was used in quick succession in the third and gave up four more runs, pushing the score to 0-7.

Korea’s luck didn’t turn in the fourth. Leadoff hitter Jemaine Jones greeted the inning with a single, setting up a chance. But Lee Jung-hoo’s grounder to the pitcher became a double play. Lee thought he was safe at first, but Korea had already used its only video review and couldn’t overturn the call. An Hyun-min followed with a double, but the momentum had slipped away.

Korea held the Dominican Republic scoreless from the fourth through the sixth, but the early damage proved insurmountable.

The game was put away by a late-long ball. In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and runners on first and second, Rodriguez hit an infield grounder that looked like a double-play ball. Shortstop Kim Joo-won and second baseman Kim Hye-sung were a touch too casual on the turn. The lead runner was out at second, but the runner at first was safe, and the inning continued.

With two outs and runners at the corners, Wells then launched a three-run homer to right-center, triggering the run rule.

Korea — buoyed earlier in the tournament by the “Tokyo miracle” — ultimately couldn’t overcome the world’s best lineup. Above all, the defensive lapses at pivotal moments swung the momentum. Korea couldn’t dent the Dominican Republic’s confidence and finished with a harsh run-rule loss.