Taiwan knocked out previously undefeated Japan in a 4-3 decision in the semi-finals of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, last night for the right to take on South Korea in the Gold Medal game at the Aoti Baseball Field at 6pm tonight.
Yang Yao-hsun (Softbank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball) redeemed himself by holding a potent Japan lineup scoreless in the bottom of the 10th to pick up the win after giving up a game-tying three-run homer to Japan’s Toshiyuki Hayashi in the bottom of the ninth that sent the game into extra innings.
“Well, I knew I had to get it back somehow, and I’m glad it worked out well for us,” Yang said after the game.
He nearly cost the defending champs the chance to make it into their third straight final of the Asian Games, but prevailed in the end.
TOP OF THE 10TH
With the game tied at 3-3 heading into the top of the 10th, Taiwan managed to score what ended up being the game-winning run on an RBI groundout by Chen Yung-chi (minor leaguer with the Pittsburgh Pirates) off Japan reliever Atsushi Kobayashi.
The slim 4-3 lead seemed insufficient for Taiwan to secure the win, especially with the heart of the Japan order due up in the bottom of the 10th.
However, it was not the case as Yang calmly recorded the final three outs, the last of which came with the bases loaded to keep the win intact.
FIRST SIX INNINGS
Starter Yang Chien-fu (Sinon Bulls) tossed six brilliant innings of four-hit ball before handing the game over to Yang Yao-hsun to start off the seventh.
The lefty fireballer was equal to the task over the next two innings as he fanned four of the next eight batters he faced to shut down a lethal attack from Japan before running into trouble in the ninth.
The rematch of the Gold Medal game in Doha in 2006 saw Taiwan jump to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth after three scoreless innings of play. Chang Chien-ming (Sinon Bulls) led off the inning with a clean single off Japan’s starter Tsugio Abe and Taiwan scored two batters later on Peng Cheng-min’s (Brother Elephants) RBI groundout before Chang Tai-shan drove home the second run of the inning on a single off reliever Takashi Fujita.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Taiwan tacked on another run, courtesy of a solo blast by Lin Chih-sheng (La New Bears) off reliever Manabu Mima that made it 3-0.
The 3-0 lead would last one out into the ninth before Hayashi’s three-run blast initiated the late-game drama that ended in Taiwan’s favor.
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