WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: CHOI HAS U.S. FEELING BLUE DODGER'S HOME RUN HELPS LIFT SOUTH KOREA TO VICTORY SOUTH KOREA 7, U.S. 3.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - He wasn't wearing his Dodgers uniform, nor was he serenaded by familiar chants of ``Hee-Seop Choi'' that he receives every time he goes to the plate.

But Choi felt right at home, just down the road from Dodger Stadium. Choi didn't start Monday's World Baseball Classic game against the U.S. but he sure finished it. Choi hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run off reliever Dan Wheeler to help South Korea cruise past the U.S. 7-3 in the second round in front of 21,288 at Angel Stadium.

``I'm playing for my home country and we (beat) the U.S., which is the best feeling in the world,'' Choi said.

Choi, who hit a towering home run to the right field corner, stands out among his teammates at 6-foot-5. He stood out with his bat this time.

Korea is a surprising 5-0 in WBC games while the U.S. fell to 3-2. The U.S. probably needs a win over Mexico on Thursday - with Roger Clemens scheduled to start - to advance to the semifinals Saturday in San Diego.

``Unfortunately, we've been on the short end of the stick lately,'' said starter Dontrelle Willis, who had another shaky start and earned his second loss. ``It's definitely frustrating because we know the capability of our team and we haven't hit it yet.''

The U.S. scored two runs in the ninth and although it didn't matter in this game, those runs could be key in a tiebreaker situation.

Willis allowed three earned runs on three hits in three innings and gave up a solo home run to Seung Yeop Lee, South Korea's biggest baseball star.

``I'm still excited to be here,'' Willis said. ``I'm a man. I can admit when I'm not playing well. I'm not playing the best baseball I can play.''

For Lee, it must have been sweet. Lee is making unofficial auditions to play for a Major League team once his contract with the Yomiuri Giants expires.

Willis couldn't have had a worse first outing for the U.S. team when he allowed six hits - three of which were triples - and five earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings against Canada. The U.S. lost that game and had Mexico not thumped Canada, it could've been out of the WBC. He allowed three runs on four hits in three innings.

South Korea led 2-0, but Ken Griffey Jr. put the U.S. within reach on a solo home run in the third.

The U.S. had runners in scoring position but couldn't convert. The U.S. had the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning but starter Min Han Son struck out Jason Varitek. In the fourth inning, the U.S. squandered another prime chance after 21-year-old reliever Byung Doo Jun walked Chipper Jones to start the inning and walked Varitek.

With two on and no one out, the U.S. still couldn't score. Jun struck out Mark Teixeira and reliever Byung Hyun Kim, who pitches for the Colorado Rockies, came in to strike out Matt Holliday. Chase Utley singled off Kim to load the bases but Kim but got Vernon Wells to strike out on a pitch that was high and outside to get Korea out of quite a jam.

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Vernon Wells of the U.S. reacts after striking out with the bases loaded in the fourth inning on Monday.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press