Taiwan secured their first victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) yesterday, handing the Czech Republic a 14-0 trouncing at the Tokyo Dome.
After being defeated in its first two Pool C games — including a demoralizing 13-0 loss to Japan on Friday — Taiwan’s bats came alive.
The lineup erupted for 11 hits and scored in five of the mercy rule-shortened game’s seven innings, a sharp contrast to the four hits and 17 strikeouts recorded across Taiwan’s previous 54 at-bats.
Photo: AFP
The offensive explosion was punctuated by designated hitter Stuart Fairchild’s grand slam in the top of the second inning, which extended the lead to 6-0 and marked Taiwan’s first grand slam in the tournament.
Manager Tseng Hao-jiu (曾豪駒) described the home run as “reassuring,” but emphasized the team’s collective discipline.
“We may not have as many sluggers as other teams, but every one of our players did their job today — from getting on base to stealing and manufacturing runs,” Tseng said at a news conference after the game.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan set a new national WBC record with eight stolen bases in a single game, led by three steals each from infielder Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) and Fairchild.
The duo, batting first and third respectively, set the tone in the opening frame by reaching base on two drag bunts.
They then pulled off a double steal that forced a wild throw from Czech catcher Martin Cervenka, allowing Cheng to sprint home during the game’s first run.
Cheng after the game said his priority was simply getting on base.
“I noticed the third baseman was playing deep when I stepped into the box, so I decided to lay down a bunt,” he said.
Cheng finished the day reaching base four times in five plate appearances, with one hit and three walks.
Of the 11 Taiwanese batters who saw action, six recorded at least one hit, led by Yu Chang’s (張育成) three-hit game.
Chang, who was named Pool A MVP in the 2023 WBC, is batting a team-high 0.455 and is tied with Fairchild for the team lead in RBIs with four.
On the mound, Taiwanese pitchers had a combined 10 strikeouts.
Starter Zhuang Chen Zhong-ao (莊陳仲敖) fanned four over 2-2/3 innings, while Lin Yu-min — currently with the Arizona Diamondbacks — added three strikeouts in 2-1/3 innings of relief.
As Zhuang Chen and Lin had exceeded the 30-pitch mark, they would not be available for today’s pivotal clash against South Korea.
The 11am matchup is a “must-win” for Taiwan to keep its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals alive.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest foundry service provider, yesterday said that global semiconductor revenue is projected to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2030, after the figure exceeds US$1 trillion this year, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand boosts consumption of token and compute power. “We are still at the beginning of the AI revolution, but we already see a significant impact across the whole semiconductor ecosystem,” TSMC deputy cochief operating officer Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “It is fair to say that in the past decade, smartphones and other mobile devices were
US-CHINA SUMMIT: MOFA welcomed US reassurance of no change in its Taiwan policy; Trump said he did not comment when Xi talked of opposing independence US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan. “I will make a determination,” Trump said, adding: “I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world. As the two presidents met for a highly anticipated summit yesterday, Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that missteps regarding Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict.” Trump arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend,” and extending an invitation to visit the White House
SECURITY: Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying
RSS