Taiwan beats South Korea 5-4 in the 10th on 2 sacrifice bunts. Taiwan also added 3 home runs

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Taiwan players celebrate after defeating South Korea during a World Baseball Classic game between South Korea and Taiwan on Sunday, March 8, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Taiwan's Wu Nien-ting slides into the first base as South Korea's Shay Whitcomb prepares to catch the ball during the seventh inning of a World Baseball Classic game between South Korea and Taiwan on Sunday, March 8, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) — Taiwan players celebrate after defeating South Korea during a World Baseball Classic game between South Korea and Taiwan on Sunday, March 8, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Audio By Carbonatix

11:06 PM on Saturday, March 7

By The Associated Press

Taiwan defeated South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings on Sunday in the World Baseball Classic with Chieh-Hsien Chen — who began as the designated runner — scoring the winning run in the top of the inning on a sacrifice bunt by Kun-Yu Chiang

Taiwan improved to 2-2 and has completed play in Pool C. South Korea is 1-2 and finishes play on Monday against Australia. Australia has already beaten Taiwan.

Taiwan hit three home runs in the game, but it was the small ball in the end that saved the day.

Yu Chang hit a solo shot in the first and Tsung-Che Cheng had another solo homer in the second with Stuart Fairchild giving Taiwan a 4-3 lead on a two-run shot in the eighth. It was Fairchild's second home run of the tournament. The other was a grand slam against the Czech Republic.

“That was one of the most fun games I've every played in my life,” said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization who is playing because his mother is from Taiwan.

Fairchild's home run looked like it might be enough, but not quite.

South Korea rallied as it did several times throughout the game and tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Do Yeong Kim with Hyeseong Kim scoring.

South Korea got close to scoring the tying run in the bottom of the 10th but Ju Won Kim was thrown out on a close play at home. A replayed showed he was out.

Yi Chang got the victory for Taiwan with Jyun-Yue Tseng picking up the save. The loss went to Woo-Suk-Go.

Japan and Shohei Ohtani faces Australia in the second game in Pool C on Sunday.

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