The Philippines yesterday dominated Thailand 14-4 at the Taipei Dome in the opening game of Group B on the second day of the Asian Baseball Championship, while Palestine pipped Hong Kong 3-1 in Taichung in Group A.
World No. 35 the Philippines put themselves on the board early, racking up two runs in the first inning, followed by two in the third, one each in the fourth and fifth, and three in the sixth.
Thailand, ranked 43rd in the world, did not get on the board until the top of the seventh inning, when they tried to stage a comeback, putting up four runs.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei Times
It was not enough to overcome the Philippines, who responded with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to close out the game.
In Group B’s late game in Taipei, world No. 1 Japan devastated Pakistan 14-0.
After grabbing six runs in the first four innings, Japan piled on the hurt with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth.
At Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, where Group A games are being played, Tarik Elabour, who was walked onto base after being hit with the ball, scored world No. 55 Palestine’s first run of the series in the top of the sixth inning.
Hong Kong responded in the bottom of the seventh, when, with two outs on the board, Chan Cheuk Kiu put himself on third off a single, and then scored after a single by Anson Fung was fumbled in the outfield.
Palestine immediately responded in the top of the eighth inning, with Yunis Haleem scoring off a double by Tariq Suboh to retake the lead, which Palestine extended to 3-1 in the ninth inning.
In the Group A opener on Sunday, Taiwan set a series of firsts in the Taipei Dome’s first official baseball game, with star pitcher Hsu Jo-hsi setting the tone, striking out 10 and yielding just two hits through seven scoreless innings in their 4-0 dominant victory over world No. 5 South Korea.
The 23-year-old Hsu, fresh from leading the CPBL’s Wei Chuan Dragons to their first Taiwan Series victory in 24 years, threw 65 strikes in 77 pitches.
“I want to thank the manager for having me start and throw the first-ever pitch in a game at the Taipei Dome. The only thing I can do is show everyone the best I got,” Hsu said during a post-game interview.
In two starts against the Rakuten Monkeys in last year’s best-of-seven Taiwan Series, Hsu surrendered just one run in 11 innings to be named the Series Most Valuable Player.
Sunday’s historic game also featured Chen Hsiao-yun, the sole amateur player for Taiwan, batting in captain Namoh Iyang for the indoor stadium’s first RBI, while Lin Chen-fei recorded the dome’s first hit and Iyang got the first extra-base hit.
Today, South Korea would seek to earn its first win against Hong Kong, while Taiwan is to face Palestine in the late game.
In the Group B games, Pakistan is to play the Philippines, while Japan is take on Thailand.
The top two finishers of each group compete in the Super Round on Friday and Saturday, with the first and second place teams earning a WSBC U-23 Baseball World Cup berth.
Additional reporting by CNA
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
RSS