Taiwan yesterday defeated the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks’ farm team 5-1 in their final warm-up game ahead of their World Baseball Classic (WBC) Pool C opener.
Taiwan’s bullpen used an unconventional rotation, with a different pitcher throwing each inning for the first seven innings.
Together, they combined for eight strikeouts while allowing only four hits. The lone run surrendered came in the bottom of the eighth inning after a pitcher from Japan’s independent league took the mound.
Photo: CNA
The pitching strategy was designed to preserve the arms of the Taiwanese ahead of their game against Australia at the Tokyo Dome tomorrow morning.
Taiwanese-American Stuart Fairchild shone in his international debut. Batting leadoff, the Seattle native reached base in all four plate appearances with two hits, a walk and an RBI.
Lin An-ko also had two hits.
Tomorrow’s contest represented Taiwan’s only opportunity to adjust in a live-game setting with a full roster, following the cancelation of Monday’s scheduled match.
“It’s a shame we only had one game to play together,” national team captain Chen Chieh-hsien said after the game. “It feels different from when we played in Taiwan.”
While Chen noted that additional game time for the full roster would have been ideal, he emphasized that “the overall team atmosphere is great.”
The team is scheduled to practice at the Tokyo Dome today.
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