BASEBALL/Taiwan's Cheng Tsung-che makes MLB debut with Pittsburgh Pirates

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Taiwanese player Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) made his Major League Baseball debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, just two days after being called up from Triple-A.

In a home game at PNC Park against the St. Louis Cardinals, Cheng wore a Republic of China (Taiwan) national flag on his belt as he started at shortstop and batted ninth.

"The journey has officially begun," the Pirates wrote in Chinese in a post on X (formerly Twitter), welcoming the 23-year-old Taiwanese player to the Show.

Cheng's wife was among the scattered spectators at the noon game, in which the Pirates edged out the Cardinals 2-1 in the 13th inning, on a walk-off hit by Joey Bart.

Cheng went hitless, however, in his two at-bats against Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde, before being replaced by a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth.

In the third inning, with teammate Tommy Pham on first base, Cheng flew out to left field on an 89 mph sinker.

Leading off the sixth, he reached first on a sharply hit grounder toward third baseman Nolan Arenado, but the play was ruled an error by the 10-time Gold Glove winner.

Cheng then attempted to steal second base and was initially called safe, but the ruling was overturned following a replay review.

The Pirates, now 5-8, are tied with the Cincinnati Reds at the bottom of the National League Central division standings. The Reds will host the Pirates for a three-game series that starts on Friday.