TOKYO (AP) \u2014 Australia opened the World Baseball Classic on Thursday by beating Taiwan 3-0 on Robbie Perkins\u2019 two-run homer\u2026<\/p>\n
TOKYO (AP) \u2014 Australia opened the World Baseball Classic on Thursday by beating Taiwan 3-0 on Robbie Perkins\u2019 two-run homer in the fifth inning and Travis Bazzana\u2019s homer in the seventh at the Tokyo Dome.<\/p>\n
The two big swings were enough in a tight game dominated by pitching on both sides. Taiwan managed only three hits, and Australia had seven.<\/p>\n
It was a critical victory for Australia, which also won its first game in 2023, defeating South Korea enroute to reaching the quarterfinals and a narrow 4-3 loss to Cuba.<\/p>\n
Australian starter Alex Wells pitched three no-hit innings with Jack O\u2019Loughlin negotiating the next three and allowing only two hits and setting the stage for the bullpen. <\/p>\n
O\u2019Laughlin got the victory with a save for Jon Kennedy. Po-Yu Chen was the losing pitcher.<\/p>\n
Following Perkins\u2019 homer, Taiwan put two runners on in the sixth with two out but failed to score. The second to reach base was Chieh-hsien Chen who was hit by a pitch on the his right hand and left the game.<\/p>\n
Australia loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and failed to score when Chris Burke popped out on the second pitch from reliever Yi Chang.<\/p>\n
Bazzana, who is expected to start in Triple A this season in the Cleveland Guardians farm system, added the insurance run on a towering shot to right field. Bazzana was the first pick in the 2024 MLB amateur draft.<\/p>\n
Taiwan put two runners on the top of the ninth and almost tied the game on a deep flyout by Lyle Lin.<\/p>\n
South Korea-Czech Republic later<\/p>\n
In the second Group C game later in Tokyo, South Korea faced the Czech Republic. Defending champion Japan opens play in Group C on Friday against Taiwan.<\/p>\n
The top two teams in the group advance to the quarterfinals in the United States, joining the top two in the other three groups.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n