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BASEBALL: Easy victory turns into dismal loss for Taiwan

Taiwan outfielder Lin Che-hsuan drops a decisive catch in Taiwan’s match against China at the Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing yesterday. PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Miscues by the second baseman on a relay throw off an RBI single led to a three-run play as China rolled off five unanswered runs in the bottom of the 12th to top Taiwan 8-7 in Game Three at the Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing yesterday.

What was supposed to be an easy win for Taiwan turned into a dishearteningly shocking first-ever defeat in a fully represented international competition to China as Taiwan failed to protect a multi-run lead on two different occasions in a losing effort.

After enjoying a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead through the top of the eighth on a fifth-inning solo home run by Luo Guo-hui and a run-scoring error by the Chinese infield in the sixth, the game was all but in the bag for Taiwan with reliever extraordinaire Nee Fu-deh on the mound looking to close it out with six outs to go for China.

That turned out not to be the case as China managed to place its first two hitters on base via an infield single and a walk issued by Nee, which prompted skipper Hong Yi-chung to send in closer Luo Chia-ren.

Lee gave up a single and a double in a three-run eighth to find Taiwan suddenly trailing 2-3 heading into the top of the ninth.

Fortunately for Taiwan the game went into extra-innings as Chang Chien-ming came through with a clutch two-out ground-rule double that scored the tying run in the top of the ninth to make it 3-3.

The runner on first would have easily scored for the go-ahead run had it not been a ground-rule double. Instead, the game promptly went into extra-innings. Taiwan managed to plate four runs in the top of the 12th, with Luo Guo-hui drawing a bases-loaded walk and Chen Feng-min and Shih Chih-wei knocking in three combined runs off Chinese reliever and the eventual game-winner Lu Jiangang with a double and a single respectively.

China rallied from four down with an RBI-single by Wang Chao off game-loser Yang Jien-fu for its first run of the inning and a bases-loaded walk by Sun Lingfeng before Hou Fenglian delivered the game-winning swing that clinched the historic win.

TODAY’S CONTEST

Next up for Taiwan in the seven-game preliminary round will be the defending champs from Cuba, nicknamed the “Red Lightning,” fresh off a 5-4 nailbiting win of their own over the US in extra-innings yesterday.

The game is scheduled to start at 11:30am, with veteran Chang Chih-chia the probable starter.

It will be an uphill battle for Taiwan, both mentally and physically, since they will have to regroup in a hurry after back-to-back devastating losses to Japan and China.
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