Fresh off a Cinderella run at the 2024 WBSC Premier12, No. 2 Chinese Taipei entered the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers with confidence. However, No. 24 Spain ambushed the hosts with a stunning 12-5 upset on home soil at the Taipei Dome in front of a qualifier attendance record with 35,325 fans.
Spain’s lineup attacked relentlessly, collecting 15 hits, four with runners in scoring position. Chinese Taipei also reached double-digit hits but struggled to capitalize and faltered on the mound—ironically, their biggest strength at the Premier12—allowing the game to slip away in the middle innings.
Cuban veteran Elian Leyva started for Spain, while 23-year-old Yu-Hung Chen opened for Chinese Taipei. Originally, Yakult Swallows prospect Hsiang-Sheng Hsu (also known as Shosei Takahashi) was set to start but was scratched due to injury
Spain quickly exploited the late pitching change, scoring two runs in the first inning. Jesús Ustariz doubled in one, and Ruber Estrada followed with an RBI single against the Taiwanese soft-tosser.
In the third, Spain doubled its lead against Yu Lu. With one out, Wander Encarnación singled, Ustariz followed with another double, and Estrada drove in two more with a single to center.
Chinese Taipei responded in the bottom half when 2023 WBC Pool A MVP Yu Chang launched a two-run homer after Chung-Yu Chen reached on an error.
Spain’s offense continued to click in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Edison Valerio then laced a two-run single against Yu-Cheng Wu to extend the lead to 6-2.
The inning soon spiraled out of control for Chinese Taipei, with a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch to force in two more runs. Encarnacion’s third hit of the night made it 10-2.
A two-run shot by Gabriel Lino the following inning made it 12-2, putting the mercy rule in play.
Rosso kept the momentum on Spain’s side, dominating with 3 ⅓ frames of one-hit ball, punching out seven batters. Nien-Ting Wu’s RBI single in the seventh prevented a mercy-rule finish, and Chinese Taipei tacked on two in the ninth to soften the deficit. However, the home fans left disappointed after a 12-5 drubbing.
Spain Manager Nelson Prada led his pitching staff through nine innings, allowing 11 hits, four earned runs, six walks, and striking out 10 in Friday’s win.
Chinese Taipei, under manager, Hao-Ju Tseng Tseng used use nine pitchers during Friday night’s first game of the 2025 WBCQ, and allowed 12 earned runs, five walks and 10 strikeouts.
Chinese Taipei went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners.
This win marks Spain’s first-ever victory over a top-three ranked Asian nation in international competition
All 2025 WBCQ games in Taipei will be played at the Taipei Dome, culminating in the second- and third-place game on Feb. 25 at 6 a.m. EST.
In a battle of opening game winners, No. 24 ranked Spain will play No. 16 Nicaragua on February 21 at 11 p.m. EST.
Meanwhile, No. 2 Chinese Taipei will take on No. 32 South Africa on Feb. 22 at 6 a.m. EST.
All WBC Qualifier games will stream live on the World Baseball Classic website, Facebook, MLB.TV, and YouTube, with coverage running through the final out of the second qualifier in Tucson, Ariz., on March 6.
