Starting pitcher Pan Hui-lung and several relievers combined on a four-hit shutout against the Uni-President Lions in Taichung last night as the Beijing-bound Olympic baseball team breezed past the Lions 7-0.
It was the Olympic team’s second consecutive win in a series of warm-up matches with Chinese Professional Baseball League squads after Wednesday’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Brother Elephants.
Offensively, Taiwan jumped on Lions starter Lou Pote early and got all the offense they needed in a three-run first inning. First baseman Peng Chen-ming drove in the game’s first run with a single, followed by second baseman Chiang Chih-hsien’s two-run single to put them ahead 3-0.
The national team would add three more runs off Pote in the top of the second on outfielder Chang Chen-ming’s three-run home run to right field, and added a final insurance run in the top of the ninth on outfielder Pan Wu-hsiung’s single.
Pan stifled the Lions’ bats over five seamless innings, working the lower half of the strike zone and changing speeds effectively.
Relievers Ni Fu-te and Chiang Chih-chia and dominant closer Lo Chia-jen closed out the sixth through ninth innings with scoreless frames.
Boston Red Sox centerfielder Lin Che-hsuan sparkled again for Taiwan, stealing a base, scoring two runs and working opposing pitchers deep into counts.
He will be counted on heavily if the national team is to enjoy success in Beijing.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Lo Kuo-hui, star of the Olympic Qualifier tournaments last fall, continued to struggle at bat and defensively. He is hitting .091 during the current series of exhibitions.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
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