Reinvigorated Korea ready to renew rivalry with Japan (Saturday, 5 a.m. ET, FS1)

TOKYO -- One of international baseball’s greatest rivalries -- it stretches back to 1954 -- renews on Saturday. Korea enters this matchup after defeating Czechia, 11-4, while Japan routed Chinese Taipei, 13-0.

Korea will hope its powerful lineup, led by Jung Hoo Lee and fellow big leaguers Jahmai Jones and Shay Whitcomb -- along with young KBO stars Do Yeong Kim and Hyun Min Ahn -- will be enough to outpace Japan’s own lineup of sluggers.

But after Shohei Ohtani and Japan put up a 10-spot on Friday night, setting the record for most runs in a single World Baseball Classic inning -- with reigning Central League MVP winner Teruaki Sato and his 45 home runs sitting on the bench -- there may be no amount of firepower able to catch up.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

When and where: Saturday, 5 a.m. ET at the Tokyo Dome (7 p.m. local time)

How you can watch: The game is on FS1 in the United States and streaming on Netflix in Japan. Click here to view viewing options in other countries and territories.

How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every game.

Team results: Both teams enter with powerful lineups that have entered the tournament on a hot streak. Both are 1-0 with the winner putting themselves in excellent position to advance.

Probable starting pitchers: Ko Young Pyo vs. Yusei Kikuchi

Korea goes with a veteran starter who has pitched in the KBO since 2015. After a rough 2024, Pyo bounced back last season to go 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA for the KT Wiz. He has excellent control, averaging just 1.5 BB/9 in his career. He appeared in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and went 4 1/3 innings in Korea’s loss to Australia, giving up two runs.

Japan counters with Kikuchi, a veteran southpaw and former Hanamaki Higashi High School graduate -- Ohtani attended the same school. Kikuchi is coming off his second All-Star Game appearance, posting a career-high 3.3 bWAR with a 3.99 ERA in 178 1/3 innings, the most in his MLB career. Set to make his World Baseball Classic debut, he struggled in the first inning of his exhibition start on Monday against the Orix Buffaloes, giving up three runs before mixing in his offspeed stuff more and settling down in the next few innings.

“He’s got a strong heart and always puts the team first,” Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata said after Kikuchi’s start. “He has a very valuable presence.”

What’s at stake: With Australia racing out to a 2-0 start to pace the pool, the loser of this contest could be in trouble and would not necessarily be in control of their own destiny. This may not be a win-or-die contest, but it would make the rest of the group stage necessary victories.

Matchup history: These teams have a lot of World Baseball Classic history. In 2006, South Korea defeated Japan twice by one-run scores in pools one and two (the tournament had a separate format then, with multiple pool rounds) before Japan shut out Korea, 6-0, in the semifinal.

In 2009, the teams faced each other five times -- splitting the first four contests before Japan emerged victorious in the championship, downing Korea, 5-3, in 10 innings.

They wouldn’t face off again in the WBC until 2023, when Japan defeated Korea, 13-4. Yu Darvish picked up the win in that contest, as Ohtani had two hits and an RBI and right fielder Kensuke Kondo doubled, homered and drove in three.