Japan is reeling from its 3-2 upset loss to South Korea in their final Asian qualifier of the World Baseball Classic.

The Japanese daily Nikkan Sports on Monday said pitcher Hirotoshi Ishii threw a fatal pitch to South Korean slugger Lee Seung-yeop, whose two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning gave his team the win.

The paper also said the diving catch of outfielder Lee Jin-young in the bottom of the fourth turned the tide in the game.

Japanese manager Sadaharu Oh has pledged to avenge his team's defeat in the quarterfinals in California.

The daily, meanwhile, put the loss in its second and third pages in contrast to its front-page treatment of Japan's wins over Taiwan and China.

Leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki, who flied out in the bottom of the ninth as Japan's final batter, called the defeat a disgrace.

Disappointed Japanese fans also urged their all-star team to do better next time.