資料來源：http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2013/03/09/372560/Taiwan-falls.htm
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's national baseball team lost to Japan 4-3 in its first World Baseball Classic (WBC) round 2 match in Tokyo, Japan yesterday in the 10th inning despite another stellar outing delivered by starter Chien-Ming Wang (王建民).
Facing two-time WBC defending champion Japan, Wang dominated the mound by cruising through six-scoreless innings, giving up six hits and striking out one with only one walk in 76 pitches.
Thanks to Wang, Taiwan, playing under the name of Chinese Taipei, managed to hold a 2-0 lead at the Tokyo Dome until the top of the eighth when the sluggish Japanese lineup finally erupted to tie the game on four singles.
But Taiwan's explosive lineup immediately responded at the bottom of the eighth. Three consecutive hits made by Nos. 3, 4 and 5 batters Peng Cheng-min (彭政閔) Lin Chih-sheng (林智勝) and Chou Szu-chi (周思齊), pushed the lead up to 3-2.
Refusing to give up in front of the throng of fans, team Japan once again tied the game 3-3 with Hirokazu Ibata's RBI single off Taiwanese closer Chen Hung-wen (陳鴻文) in the ninth.
Chinese Taipei failed to score at the bottom of the ninth and the game entered extra innings.
With Sho Nakata's RBI sacrifice fly to left field, Japan added its go-ahead run in the 10th, sending back Nobuhiro Matsuda for the winning run.
In its last attempt to tie the matchup again, Taiwan got two runners on bases at the bottom of the 10th on two singles with only one out.
But third baseman Chen Yung-chi's (陳鏞基) double play ended the day for the national squad.
The game, the first extra-inning game in the 2013 WBC, lasted nearly five hours. The teams sent a total of 14 pitchers to the mound.
This was Wang's second shutout start at the WBC. The 32-year-old righty had a perfect outing in Taiwan's 4-1 victory against Australia in the WBC opener last Saturday, also pitching six scoreless innings.
Early 2-0 Lead
Taiwan broke the 0-0 deadlock at the bottom of the third when Chou Szu-chi (周思齊) scored the first run on Japanese left-handed starter Atsushi Nohmi's walk when the bases were loaded.
Chinese Taipei struck again in the fifth frame. Team captain Peng singled on a soft fly ball off reliever Tadashi Settsu to send home Lin Che-hsuan (林哲瑄) who reached the second on a double, the score was now 2-0.
Chinese Taipei's bullpen, however, was unable to sustain the lead.
Meanwhile, also at the Tokyo Dome yesterday, the Netherlands pounded out 14 hits to stun Cuba 6-2 in the group opener, leaving it one win away from reaching the WBC's championship round of four teams, which is to be played in the United States.
Taiwan is set to face Cuba tonight. The WBC round 2 is played in modified double-elimination format. The team that loses today's match will be eliminated.
Chinese Taipei and Japan are in Pool 1 of the second round, along with Cuba and the Netherlands.
資料來源：http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2013/03/09/372560/Taiwan-falls.htm
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