Shutting out New Zealand in a 9-0 final at the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium, Taiwan clinched the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in New Taipei City on Sunday night to earn a place in the first round of play in Pool B of the 2013 World Baseball Classic in Taichung in March next year.
It was the third straight shutout win for the hosts in this year’s competition after they had cruised past the Kiwis in their first meeting by a 10-0 margin on Thursday and followed up with a 16-0 victory over the Philippines on Friday.
Chang Chien-ming’s bases-clearing three-run double off New Zealand reliever Andrew Marck highlighted a six-run fourth as the home team took a 7-0 lead through the fourth after managing to plate only one run over the first three frames against New Zealand starter John Holdzkom.
Taiwan had a chance to put the game away in the seventh under the mercy rule, but failed to score their 10th run on two different attempts as the Kiwis held their ground to stretch it to a full nine innings. It was a moral victory for the visitors considering that Taiwan had won their two previous games by the mercy rule.
Starter Yang Yao-hsun was credited with the win for his two-hit effort over four scoreless innings. His counterpart Holdzkom was tagged with the loss for three solid innings before faltering against the hosts in the fourth.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
RSS