South Korea Deploys Kim Ji-Chan as Leadoff vs Taiwan at Tokyo Dome

South Korea manager Choi Won-ho deployed Kim Ji-chan as leadoff center fielder for the decisive Asia Professional Baseball Championship preliminary match against Taiwan at Tokyo Dome on November 14.

South Korea enters the game winless after suffering preliminary defeats to Australia 7-8 and Japan 5-9 on November 14, The Chosun Daily reported. The squad now sits on the brink of elimination at Tokyo Dome.

Manager Choi changed the batting order after those losses. Kim Ji-chan moves up to center fielder and leadoff, Kim Do-yeong plays third base, and Kim Joo-won starts at shortstop.

Han Dong-hee returns to first base while Kim Hwi-jip covers second base. Ahn Hyun-min takes right field, Ahn Jae-seok serves as designated hitter, Jo Hyeong-woo catches, and Park Jae-hyun plays left field.

South Korea needs an outright victory against Taiwan to secure advancement to the tournament finals without relying on complex multi-team scenarios. A win puts South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia level at one win and two losses.

Japan defeated Australia 16-1 earlier in the schedule. That lopsided result gives South Korea a favorable position in the Team Quality Balance tiebreaker calculation once group play concludes.

Lee Eo-roon takes the ball as starting pitcher for South Korea. Lee recorded eight wins, four losses, seven holds, and a 5.61 ERA across 50 relief appearances this season before transitioning to a starting role in September.

Taiwan counters with right-handed pitcher Hsu Hsiang-sung of the Nippon Professional Baseball Yakult Swallows. Hsu previously pitched during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held in September.

The winner advances directly to the championship round.