WBC / Taiwan on the ropes after 13-0 mercy rule loss to Japan

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Team Taiwan was routed 13-0 by defending champion "Samurai Japan" in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Tokyo on Friday, its second straight loss in the tournament that has left its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals on life support.

The lopsided defeat, which was called after seven innings because Taiwan was trailing by 10 runs or more, was the first time the national team has been subject to the mercy rule in top-tier international play since it lost to Cuba 14-0 in seven innings in the 2013 WBC, also in Tokyo.

"While we didn't expect a win, I certainly didn't expect it to end like this," ELTA Sports commentator David Lee (李祐廷) said during the live broadcast.

Particularly embarrassing was that Taiwan was shut out for a second straight game after losing to Australia 3-0 on Thursday. It only recorded one hit against Japan, a single by Yu Chang (張育成) in the bottom of the sixth, and it is now the only team in Pool C yet to score a run.

Friday's game was effectively over in the top of the second inning, when Japan scored 10 runs -- a WBC record for runs in a single inning -- helped by a questionable decision by Team Taiwan.

After threatening but not scoring in the first inning, Japan loaded the bases with one out against Taiwan starter Cheng Hao-chun (鄭浩均) in the second on a walk, a single, and a hit batsman, and had Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani coming up.

Cheng was not sharp and had already yielded a double to Ohtani to lead off the game, but Taiwan elected to pitch to one of the best hitters in all of baseball rather than intentionally walk him and concede a run.

Though a Cheng curveball on a 2-1 count had Ohtani slightly off balance, the Japanese slugger got enough of it to land it in the right field seats, putting his team up 4-0.

The next batter, Kensuke Kondoh, grounded out to second for out number two, but Cheng fell apart after that, giving up two walks, a single, and a double.

He was chased after facing 15 batters in just 1 2/3 innings, and was credited with giving up eight earned runs in the second inning.

Ohtani later added an RBI single in his second at-bat of the inning, pushing the lead to 10-0 before Kondoh again grounded out to finally end the frame.

Japan added three insurance runs in the third to extend the lead to 13-0.

Under WBC tournament rules, a game is called if a team leads by 15 runs after five innings or by 10 runs after seven innings. Although Taiwan's bullpen managed to prevent further scoring, the 13-run deficit triggered the mercy rule at the conclusion of the seventh inning.

While not yet mathematically eliminated, Taiwan's path to the quarterfinals now requires help from other teams.

Taiwan will need Japan to win its games against Australia and South Korea, have South Korea beat Australia, defeat the Czech Republic on Saturday and South Korea on Sunday, and hope the tiebreaker falls its way.

Given the trouble the team has had scoring runs, there is no guarantee Taiwan will defeat the Czechs on Saturday.