Japan Dominate Taiwan in Final Exhibition Game: 12-3 Win & Manager Ye’s Assessment
TAIPEI, Taiwan – The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters completed a dominant run through the Taiwan-Japan baseball exchange series with a resounding 12-3 victory over the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s (CPBL) All-Star team on . The win, marked by a 16-hit offensive explosion including back-to-back home runs from Nishikawa Haruki and Rodolfo Castro, capped a series that highlighted the clear gap in talent and experience between the two leagues.
The final game, played at the Taipei Dome, was the most lopsided of the four-game series. While the CPBL squad showed flashes of potential, particularly from outfielder Liu Chi-hung who went 4-for-5 with a home run, they were ultimately unable to contain the relentless Japanese attack. The Fighters’ offensive display underscored a disparity in power, technique, and overall baseball acumen, according to CPBL manager Yeh Chun-chang.
“The gap is clear,” Yeh said following the game. “In terms of power, technique, and experience, we are a distance behind the Nippon-Ham Fighters. This will be our motivation to work harder and close that gap.”
The second inning proved decisive, as Nishikawa and Castro connected for consecutive home runs, quickly establishing a lead that the CPBL team could not overcome. The Fighters continued to add to their total throughout the game, consistently finding holes in the CPBL defense and capitalizing on pitching miscues.
The CPBL utilized eight pitchers in the contest, including new signing Chiang-Yu, who made his debut as the third pitcher in the third inning. Chiang pitched two innings, allowing three hits, three walks, and two runs on 44 pitches. Yeh acknowledged that Chiang’s performance was acceptable, given the circumstances, but noted that his control needs refinement. “His overall performance was okay,” Yeh stated. “His control isn’t quite there yet, but he has about a month to adjust.”
Starter Kuo Yu-cheng struggled mightily, allowing two home runs and five runs in just 1.2 innings pitched. Yeh identified Kuo’s inconsistency as an area for improvement. “He had a substantial drop-off between his first and second innings. That’s something we require to work on,” the manager explained.
The series as a whole served as a stark reminder of the challenges facing CPBL teams in competing with their Japanese counterparts. While individual players within the CPBL possess talent, the overall depth and consistency of Japanese professional baseball appear to be significantly higher. The Fighters’ ability to consistently put the ball in play and pressure the CPBL defense was a key factor in their success.
Liu Chi-hung’s performance offered a bright spot for the CPBL. His four hits, including a home run, demonstrated his potential and provided a glimpse of the offensive firepower that exists within the league. However, even his impressive showing wasn’t enough to alter the outcome of the game or the series.
The exchange series is intended to foster goodwill and provide valuable experience for players from both leagues. For the CPBL, the series served as a sobering but ultimately constructive experience. The clear identification of areas for improvement – power, technique, experience, and pitching consistency – will undoubtedly shape the league’s offseason priorities and player development strategies.
The focus now shifts to the upcoming CPBL season, where teams will seem to build on the lessons learned during the exchange series and close the gap with their more established counterparts in Japan. The performance of players like Chiang-Yu and Kuo Yu-cheng, and the continued development of offensive threats like Liu Chi-hung, will be crucial to the CPBL’s efforts to elevate its competitive level.
The Nippon-Ham Fighters, meanwhile, will return to Japan with a successful series under their belt, having demonstrated the strength and depth of Japanese professional baseball. The series provided valuable playing time for their players and served as a useful tune-up for the upcoming Japan Professional Baseball season.