Japan beats Taiwan 5-0 in Asia Professional Baseball Championship opener
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan beat Taiwan 5-0 in its opening game of the youth-oriented Asia Professional Baseball Championship on Thursday, handing Samurai
Japan secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Taiwan in the inaugural game of the youth-focused Asia Professional Baseball Championship on Thursday, marking a triumphant debut for manager Tadahito Iguchi. Tomoya Masaki, recently crowned Japan Series MVP with the SoftBank Hawks, broke the deadlock with a leadoff home run and added a second homer, contributing three RBIs.
Misho Nishikawa's RBI single in the opening frame, complemented by Rui Muneyama's ninth-inning solo homer, sealed the shutout. Starter Yumeto Kanemaru tossed seven immaculate innings before Japan's relief pitchers sealed the result. Masaki's timely performance instilled confidence in the team, while Iguchi, a former MLB player and Pacific League manager, lauded Masaki's impact.
The Samurai Japan manager, who assumed his post in July, secured Japan's first win in the tournament, with the final and third-place playoff set for Sunday. Japan had previously triumphed in the inaugural editions of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship in 2017 and 2023. Earlier in the day, Australia staged a remarkable comeback to defeat South Korea 8-7, setting the stage for the tournament's next leg.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
