USA Baseball vs. South Korea results: Team USA punches ticket to gold-medal game with win

Joe Rivera

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USA Baseball vs. South Korea results: Team USA punches ticket to gold-medal game with win image

One more win for gold.

Team USA baseball is, interestingly enough, a bit of a stranger to gold medals at the Olympics. The team captured its first — and only — gold-medal victory at the 2000 Olympics, but it could be in position to land a second after their 7-2 win over Korea on Thursday.

The U.S. downed South Korea in a rematch from group play, a game the United States won 4-2. Now, after a loss to Japan earlier in the week, Team USA is one win away from the gold medal as they face Japan on Saturday — on the flip side, it's one loss away from a silver medal.

South Korea was coming off a difficult loss to Japan on Wednesday morning, and now they'll face the Dominican Republic in the bronze-medal game on Friday night.

Sporting News provided highlights, updates and more from the USA's semifinal win vs. the Republic of Korea below.

(All times Eastern)

MORE: Watch the Olympics live with fuboTV (7-day trial)

USA vs. South Korea baseball score

Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F
Korea 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2
USA 0 1 0 1 0 5 0 0 - 7

USA Baseball vs. South Korea updates, highlights from 2021 Olympics semifinal game

9:17 a.m. END OF GAME: Anthony Carter grabs a comebacker, and the U.S. is going to play for gold.

9:15 a.m.:  Anthony Carter with two outs in the eighth and is looking to close the door on Korea's gold-medal hopes.

9:08 a.m. END OF EIGHTH:  Nothing doing for the U.S. in the eighth inning, and they just need three outs to head to the gold-medal game.

8:59 a.m. END TOP EIGHTH:  Pitcher's best friend shows up as Gose gets a double play, and then an infield fly to get out of the inning.  7-2 U.S.

8:58 a.m.:  Anthony Gose lets up a lead-off walk in the eighth as Korea looks to put up a crooked number with just six outs left.

8:53 a.m. END OF SEVENTH:  U.S. goes down in order, and we head to the eighth. 7-2 U.S. 

8:45 a.m. END TOP SEVENTH:  Anthony Gose comes in and gets a couple of clutch strikeouts to end the threat. U.S. is six outs from the gold-medal game.  7-2, U.S.

8:38 a.m.:  Infield single for Hye-seong Kim. Pitching change coming for Scott McGough, who's allowed three hits on four batters.

8:33 a.m. SOUTH KOREA SCORING PLAY: Ji-whan Oh with a double off the center-field wall. Jack Lopez mishandles, allowing a runner to score. 7-2 United States.

8:28 a.m. END OF SIXTH: USA puts up a five spot in the sixth, extending their lead to 7-1.  7-1 U.S.

8:22 a.m. UNITED STATES SCORING PLAY: Tyler Austin with a floating single to center field, scoring two runs. United States looks gold-medal game bound. 7-1 U.S.

8:18 a.m. UNITED STATES SCORING PLAY: Eddy Alvarez with a grounder to first, mishandled by the first baseman. Koloszvary scores. 5-1 United States.

8:17 a.m. UNITED STATES SCORING PLAY: Lopez with a base hit to left, plating another run. U.S. leads 4-1 in the sixth.

8:14 a.m.:  Nick Allen with a walk. Bases loaded, one out for Jack Lopez. And another pitching change coming for Korea.

8:10 a.m. UNITED STATES SCORING PLAY: Koloszvary with a single through the left side, scoring Frazier. United States adds a run, 3-1.

8:08 a.m.:  Jamie Westbrook with a single to right field, Todd Frazier goes first-to-third. U.S. in business with one out in the sixth. 

8:06 a.m.:  Another pitching change for Korea. Matchup baseball.

8:03 a.m.:  That Frazier at-bat forced Korea into a pitching change. Runner on first, no outs for Eric Filia.

7:58 a.m.:  Todd Frazier locked in a good at-bat right now. Fouling off pitch after pitch. Worked a heck of a walk to lead off the home half of the sixth inning.

7:53 a.m. END TOP SIXTH:  Jamie Westbrook grabs a fly out in left to end the top half. U.S. up.  2-1, U.S.

7:51 a.m.:  Ryder Ryan still in and gets two innocuous outs in the sixth inning. Minho Kang up next.

7:41 a.m. END OF FIFTH:  Casas grounds out to second base to end the scoring threat. U.S. still up.  2-1, U.S.

7:39 a.m.:  Two-out single for Austin. Runners on first and second with Triston Casas coming up.

7:37 a.m.:  Eddy Alvarez with a single through the right side. Two outs in the fifth for Tyler Austin.

7:29 a.m. END TOP FIFTH:  Ryder Ryan in and induces an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.  2-1, U.S.

7:25 a.m. SOUTH KOREA SCORING PLAY:  RBI single for Hae-min Park. Joe Ryan is being pulled. 2-1, U.S.

7:21 a.m.:  Single to right field for Hye-seong Kim, and South Korea has something working with one out in the fifth.

7:20 a.m.:  Runner at first after Ryan hits a batter. A mistake in an otherwise very good outing.

7:15 a.m. END OF FOURTH:  Westbrook's home run goes to replay review (fair or foul), but it's upheld.  2-0, U.S.

7:11 a.m. UNITED STATES SCORING PLAY: Jamie Westbrook with a no-doubt blast to left field. Doubles the United States lead, 2-0.

7:04 a.m. END TOP FOURTH:  Ryan gets a call (shockingly) on the outside corner to end the half inning.  1-0, U.S.

7:01 a.m.:  First walk of the night for Ryan, with some "help" from the umpire. The zone remains tight.

6:58 a.m.:  Jack Lopez with a nice sliding grab in center field. He was playing deep and raced in for the catch.

6:55 a.m.:  Joe Ryan still in here for the United States, pitching a good game through three innings. 

6:53 a.m. END OF THIRD:  U.S. goes down in order, still hold the lead.  1-0, U.S.

6:45 a.m. END TOP THIRD:  Todd Frazier snags a pop foul at third to end the top half of the inning.  1-0, U.S.

6:39 a.m. END OF SECOND:  Lopez is called out at second after replay review. U.S. still takes the lead on Kolozsvary scoring play. 1-0, U.S.

6:37 a.m. UNITED STATES SCORING PLAY: Olympics or Little League? Jack Lopez with a single to center field, Kolozsvary scores from second. Lopez caught in a run down, reaches second and then scrambles to third. The play is reviewed, and Lopez is called out trying to advance to second on a diving tag. U.S. still takes the lead, 1-0.

6:29 a.m.:  Mark Kolozsvary walks.

6:27 a.m. END TOP SECOND:  Ryan gets another fly ball to center field on a well-hit ball to end the top half of the inning.

6:26 a.m.:  This umpire is calling it very  tight early on, as Joe Ryan is robbed of a few strikes in the second at-bat of the inning.

6:22 a.m. END OF FIRST:  Two-out rally comes up short as Filia grounds to short to end the inning.  U.S. 0, Korea 0.

6:19 a.m.:  The United States is in business: Todd Frazier with a two-out double, Casas advances to third. Runners in scoring position with two outs in the first. Eric Filia up.

6:17 a.m.:  Tristan Casas continues his hot tournament, working a two-out walk. Umpire his a tight, tight strike zone early on in this game.

6:10 a.m. END TOP FIRST:  Ryan gets a fly out to deep right center to end the top half of the first. U.S. coming to bat.

6:06 a.m.:  Lee Jung-hoo with a two-out double, and South Korea has their first baserunner of the night for Japan.

6:01 a.m.:  First pitch from Joe Ryan is a ball, and we are underway in Japan.

5:55 a.m.:  Korea and the U.S. handle business in just a few minutes' time.

USA vs. South Korea start time

  • Start time:  6 a.m. ET

Team USA and South Korea meet in a rematch of their group-play game in the semifinals on Thursday, Aug. 5.

The United States is vying for its first gold medal in baseball since 2000. 

How to watch USA Baseball vs. South Korea semifinal game

As currently scheduled, USA Network will be carrying the semifinal game between the U.S. and South Korea on Thursday morning.

Regardless of TV channel, you'll also be able to live stream the game on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports App.

FuboTV, which carries NBC and its sister networks, will also be a viable streaming option. FuboTV offers a 7-day free trial.

Joe Rivera

Joe Rivera Photo

Joe Rivera is in his seventh year with The Sporting News, handling NFL, MLB and some things pro wrestling. A proud-ish Rutgers University graduate, Rivera combines a new-school flair with an old-school soul. He loves dingers, wrestling, comic books, movies, music and really bad puns. He is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater.

You can find him and tweet him @JoeRiveraSN, if you're into that sort of thing.