Team Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) journey ended last night when South Korea beat Australia 7-2 and won the tiebreaker with Australia and Taiwan to advance to the tournament’s quarter-finals in Miami.
South Korea earned its spot by scoring a run in the top of the ninth to do just enough under the tiebreaker rules to advance.
The result saw Taiwan, South Korea and Australia tied for second in WBC Pool C behind undefeated Japan with 2-2 records.
Photo: CNA
The tiebreaker was determined by dividing a team’s total runs allowed by the total number of defensive outs in games among the tied teams, and with the three teams all allowing seven runs in their games, it came down to the smallest margin.
The South Koreans got the nod as they recorded a total of 57 outs in their games against the tied teams (including a 10-inning 5-4 loss to Taiwan) while Taiwan and Australia recorded the regulation 54 outs.
Taiwan are to rue their ugly start to the WBC, when they could muster only three hits in a 3-0 loss to Australia.
Photo: CNA
Because Australia was the home team, Taiwan only recorded 24 outs, putting it at a disadvantage in determining who finished second.
A run scored or one fewer run allowed by Taiwan may have meant the difference in the final tiebreaker.
After an awful 13-0 loss in seven innings due to the mercy rule to Japan, Taiwan whipped the Czech Republic 14-0 in seven innings before outlasting South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings, giving them a sliver of hope of advancing.
In six WBCs played, Taiwan has only advanced to the quarter-finals once, in 2013.
Japan are to complete Pool C play tonight against the Czech Republic, having already clinched the top spot in the group.
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