Dodgers win tight contest at Home Run Derby X Seoul?

SEOUL, South Korea -- On a sunny, perfect-for-baseball day at Paradise City in Seoul, the second FTX MLB Home Run Derby X took place. The fans streamed in, following the path through the Salvador Dali-esque tunnel in the middle of the Chroma nightclub. There were KBO fans, decked out in team gear from the likes of SSG Landers, LG Twins, Kiwoom Heroes and Samsung Lions.

Some fans traveled much further. Two Dodgers and Hanwha Eagles fans flew from Sydney, Australia, just to see former big leaguer Adrián González. The pair had attended the Sydney games when the Dodgers played there in 2014 and had picked up an autographed, game-worn González jersey.

In Seoul, the pair got to meet González and pick up the second, in-person signature -- a moment they couldn't believe.

After the early festivities, though, it was time for the action to begin. We started out with a rematch of the London finals with the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. If the Yankees won today, they could clinch the No. 1 seed for Mexico city.

Prelim 1: Red Sox 60 - Yankees 49

A crucial piece of HRDX, and what sets it apart from other home run derbies, is that defense plays a major role. Jonny Gomes, who led all players with nine catches in London, snagged nine balls in the first round alone against the Yankees on Saturday. That combination was too much for the Yankees to overcome, no matter how much power they had. HRDX would not have a repeat champion.

Gomes, for his part, also made sure to give a little zazz to every grab he made:

Yong Taik Park, the all-time KBO leader in hits, came out to thunderous applause. A legend for the nearby LG Twins, he put on a show for the local supporters. With beautiful red-and-blue socks pulled high, Park smashed 13 home runs.

After the game, Park jokingly took a shot at the Cubs' Keun Woo Jeong, who was known more for his glove and base-stealing abilities.

"For the final match, I don’t know if Jeong is up to my standard, honestly, home run wise," Park said. "But for Seung Yuop Lee, I have a lot of respect for him. I expect Lee to be in the final and look forward to the match."

HRDX superstar Jocelyn Alo, the all-time NCAA leader in home runs and filling in for Paige Halstead at the event, did not disappoint. She hit 10 home runs, including a 411-foot blast. Not only was it the longest home run hit by a Superstar yet, it's the third-longest home run hit in any HRDX event.

Nick Swisher, always one to bring it for the fans, made sure to get the crowd going. After strutting the stage, Swisher stepped into the box with his Korean flag bat and put up 16 points on 11 home runs.

Swisher also made a diving catch, which brought a round of cheers and smiles from the assembled Korean media.

“It’s been a decade since I dove like that," Swisher said. "So, just to be able to go out here and play -- anytime you get to put this uniform on, you get a lifetime pass to be a kid as long as you want."

Tae Kyun Kim, the fourth player to ever reach 3,500 total bases in KBO history, knocked out seven home runs for the Yankees and echoed Swisher's thoughts.

"It is definitely an honor [to wear pinstripes]," Kim said. "If you were a player once, you want to wear this uniform. I looked in the mirror at myself this morning, and I looked pretty OK."

Kim, still wearing his first baseman's mitt, made a diving catch in the outfield, admitting afterward that it was the first time he had ever played the position.

Prelim 2: Dodgers 55 - Cubs 54

It all came down to the final batters, with the victory put upon the KBO Heroes' shoulders. Just like in the Red Sox-Yankees match, defense would prove to play a huge role.

That included Dodgers Wild Card and former Korean Olympic speed skater Yoongy Kwak. Though he would go homerless on the day, Kwak made two catches -- one impressive and one comical.

Heading into the fourth and final batters, the Cubs held a narrow 38-37 lead and many would have thought Chicago couldn't lose. Five-time KBO MVP Award winner Seung Yuop Lee, who hit 626 home runs across the KBO and NPB, started out hot. After bashing a parked car during batting practice on Friday, Lee homered on five of his first six swings that counted.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, he'd only hit six more home runs -- good for 14 points -- but surrendered six catch points. That meant only 10 points separated the two teams.

Keun Woo Jeong, who retired following the 2020 season, clearly fed off the homer-happy crowd on Saturday. Needing only 15 pitches, Jeong blasted eight home runs and sent the Dodgers to the final.

When the day was done, Lee apologized for his poor performance to his Cubs teammates -- something Wild Card Spencer Owen wasn't having.

"I'm like, 'Mate, compared to me you're Alan Shearer,'" Owen said. "American fans might not know who that is, but he's the all-time Premier League leading-goal scorer."

The Cubs are now winless in HRDX events, going 0-3. It frustrates the team immensely, especially as USWNT star Alex Hugo set a personal-best in her round and the team set a record for most home runs in a single-round in this loss to the Dodgers. Because they finished with a higher score than the Yankees, they earned a third-place point while the Yankees finished last.

Final: Dodgers 60 - Red Sox 55

Adrián González knows how to come through in the clutch. The Dodgers slugger, who hit the most home runs in London, set the tone early in this one. After putting up 17 points in the first round, González put up 20 points on 13 home runs in the first round, while conceding only one catch point.

Ashton Lansdell kept it going for the Dodgers. The USWNT star, who was the only woman playing high school baseball in all of Cobb County, then put up 16 more points. It seemed an insurmountable lead. The final could quickly become a blowout and a poor way to end the day.

But then Alo stepped to the plate. She homered on her first seven swings, her streak only snapping when Jeong -- showcasing all the skills that made him a three-time Golden Glove winner -- made a diving catch at the wall. After Alo finished her round with 17 and Wild Cards Liv Cooke and Yoongy Kwak were shutout, it once again came down to the KBO stars.

Remember how Park jokingly said Jeong couldn't possibly match him in the home run department? Would he be made to rue his words? Yes, he would. Jeong smashed home run after home run, topping even González with 15 home runs worth 20 points.

"It's been a while since I participated in a Home Run Derby, and I definitely got super excited because of the environment. But I think what motivated me the most today was Yong Taik's comment earlier," Jeong said after the game.

The KBO hit king stepped up to the moment, too. Park matched Jeong, but it was too little too late. The Red Sox would finish in second place again.

"It was never going to be easy," Park said afterward. "I calculated it in my head and the chances were slim so I focused on hitting the target rather than getting a run."

Befitting his role as team captain and heart of the team, González was named MVP of the match.

"We really wanted to do it because we're the only team with two Koreans on the team," González said. "This was a team effort. I can accept the MVP as part of the team because it was a full team effort."

The Dodgers then celebrated with the trophy and Jeong couldn't help but break into a little dance, a fitting end to a deliriously joyous day for everyone at Paradise City.

Here's how the standings now look, which will determine seedings at the winner-take-all event in Mexico City on Oct. 15:

1. Dodgers/Red Sox (tie) - 6 points
3. Yankees - 5 points
4. Cubs - 1 point