World No. 2 Taiwan on Tuesday narrowly avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time with a 6-3 victory over Spain in a do-or-die qualifier at the Taipei Dome, but while fans celebrated, manager Tseng Hao-jiu apologized.
“Sorry we kept you guys waiting and worried,” MLB.com quoted Tseng as saying after the game. “We did it.”
It was a tense standoff for a team that just three months earlier had won Taiwan’s first World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 title with a nation-unifying victory over world No. 1 Japan.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
However, while in November last year, Taiwan lost just two games in the WBSC’s flagship tournament, this time, they lost two of their first three games on their way to joining the 16 teams competing in next year’s WBC.
“It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12,” said captain Chen Chieh-hsien, who thanked fans for standing by the team and cheering even when qualification seemed out of reach.
Taiwan faced heavy doubts about their ability to qualify after a shocking 12-5 loss to Spain in which they narrowly avoided triggering the mercy rule. While they earned back their confidence with a 9-1 win over South Africa, they suffered a 6-0 drubbing from Nicaragua, who were undefeated in the qualifiers.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
However, Taiwan on Tuesday quickly rebounded from their earlier defeat to the 2023 European Baseball Championship winners to take a 3-2 lead in the first two innings.
The turning point came at the top of the sixth, when leadoff hitter Chen Wun-jie reached second base on a single and a steal with no outs.
Catcher Chiang Shao-hung executed a sacrifice bunt and the 2023 European Championship Most Valuable Player, third baseman Wander Encarnacion, committed a throwing error, letting Chen Wun-jie score.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
Adding to Spain’s misery, the scenario seemed to replay itself, as outfielder Sung Cheng-jui also made a sacrifice bunt and a teary-eyed Encarnacion committed another throwing error, allowing Chiang across home plate to put Taiwan up 5-2, as the Taipei Dome erupted in cheers.
A solo home run from Rusber Estrada, his second of the series, helped Spain stay alive in the bottom of the sixth.
However, Spain had a chance to shift the momentum in the bottom of the seventh, when they loaded the bases on two walks and a single with one out.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
That is when 20-year-old fireballer Sun Yi-lei responded with back-to-back strikeouts to hold the line.
Sun, who celebrated his birthday earlier this month, made his debut in a major senior-level international in style, pitching 1-2/3 scoreless innings, while allowing just two hits and a walk.
“The pressure was really there, and really big, because it was a do-or-die game. I’d like to call out to the fans to give our young players more encouragement than criticism,” MLB.com quoted Chen Chieh-hsien as saying. “I want to express my appreciation to these younger players, they did it.”
Taiwan added an insurance run in the eighth before closer Tseng Jyun-yue relieved Sun, striking out Spain’s first three batters in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory.
ELTA TV commentator Tseng Wen-cheng praised Sun for his composure under pressure, while also commending Spain’s performance.
“Spain played really, really well,” he said. “They kept the game at a high intensity, which would have been even higher without those two errors.”
Veteran shortstop Yu Chang, a former major league player who was 7-for-18 and hit a home run in the qualifier, praised Taiwan’s young players.
“We were under tremendous pressure, probably because we had a lot of young players participating in this international tournament,” MLB.com quoted Chang as saying. “I am glad that we were able to focus on this game and ultimately won it. Thanks to all our teammates, as we all were under such pressure.”
After the game, Tseng Hao-jiu said the team learned valuable lessons from its struggles in the qualifiers.
“To prepare for the WBC, our players must stay on guard, because the opponents will only be stronger and better,” he said.
Taiwan join Nicaragua in securing a spot in the WBC, set to take place in March next year.
Meanwhile, China, Germany, Brazil and Colombia are to compete in Tucson, Arizona, for the remaining two slots from Sunday to Thursday next week.
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
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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