After two easy opening wins, Taiwan hit a brick wall in South Korea last night, losing to the hosts 10-0 with the mercy rule being enforced.
A seven-run first inning sealed the deal for South Korea in their men’s baseball preliminary-round match in Incheon.
In the first, South Korea outfielder Kim Hyun-soo hit an RBI double over center fielder Chen Pin-chieh’s head to make it 2-0.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Then a fluffed catch by Chiang Chih-hsien in left-field cost the visitors dearly. The drop, off first baseman Park Byung-ho, allowed two more runners to score and sent Kim to second, who was brought home when Kang Jung-ho slammed a three-run homer into the stands.
A spectacular catch by Chiang, sliding into the wall in the foul zone, did nothing to make up for the drop, though other fielders also struggled under high balls, regularly misjudging the flight and having to adjust.
Taiwan starter Wang Yao-lin was promptly yanked, but replacement Cheng Kai-wen also struggled, though he managed a ground out to end the inning without further damage.
Cheng’s struggles were with his direction, consistently pitching to the right of the plate and hitting at least three right-handed batters. The resulting walks loaded the bases in the third inning and South Korea added two more runs.
Cheng was replaced by Chen Kuan-yu, who retired the final batter in the third with two runners on base, despite a wayward first two pitches, and did not concede another run.
The game ended when Taiwan’s sixth pitcher, Sung Chia-hao, gave up a drive through center field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth and the mercy rule was brought into play.
South Korea starting pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong picked up the win, while Taiwan’s Wang took the loss.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS