Failure to come up with the big hit with runners in scoring position, coupled with a deadly fielding error that led to an unearned run for Cuba, cost Taiwan the game as it dropped a 2-0 decision to the defending champs at the Douliou County Baseball Stadium last night for its first defeat in the preliminaries of this year’s Intercontinental Cup Baseball Championship.
Lin Chih-sheng’s inability to come up with a grounder by Cuba’s Hector Olivera leading off the sixth gave the visitors a clear path to victory, which they fully exploited by following it with a pair of singles off Taiwan starter Huang Chih-lung to score their first run of the game.
Leading 1-0, Cuba would tack on an insurance run in the eighth, courtesy of Yulieski Gourriel’s single off reliever Lo Chin-lung, which made it 2-0.
That was more than ample for the Cuban pitching, as it held the Taiwan scoreless in the final two innings, despite allowing a runner to reach in both innings, to keep the shutout win intact for starter Miguel Gonzalez, who finished giving up no runs on three hits over six innings of play.
Taiwan managed to draw four walks and five hits off of Cuban pitching, but could never get the big hits on two different occasions to produce any runs, stranding a total of eight after batting a futile zero-for-three with runners in scoring position in the losing cause.
The loss means that Cuba will most likely win the top seed in Group A’s play, while the home hosts settle for a second-seed berth in the upcoming second round action that commences tomorrow afternoon.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS