LAKELAND, Fla. — One of the biggest upsets in the history of the World Baseball Classic took place Thursday inside the historic Tokyo Dome in Japan as Australia stunned Korea, 8-7, in the first game of Pool B play.
The thriller started with Jack O'Loughlin, a 22-year-old right-hander who pitches in the Detroit Tigers' organization. He stepped on the mound — five days before his 23rd birthday — to represent his country on the biggest stage against the powerhouse Korean team.
He pitched two perfect innings.
"It was a roller coaster of emotions," O'Loughlin said, speaking on the phone from his hotel room in Tokyo.