'Finger fracture' Taiwan captain 'against South Korea / vs. Korea to finish scoring against Korea' "Now I'm not scared of Korea!"

*This content was translated by AI.

Taiwanese baseball has finally broken down a huge wall called "Korea," which has never crossed the WBC stage. At the center of it was the fighting spirit of "captain" Chen Jessien (32), who even forgot his finger fracture after being hit by a pitch against Australia on the 5th. Chen Jessien was put in as a pinch runner in the top of the 10th inning to score the final score.

The South Korean national baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, lost 4-5 after extra-time blood fight against Taiwan in the third round of the 2026 WBC first round at Tokyo Dome, Japan on the 8th. He repeatedly turned the tables and turned the tables to tie the game 4-4 in the eighth inning, but he fell to the scapegoat of the "catastrophe" by losing by one point after a game.

The scene that determined the game came from the game in the 10th inning. Chen Jessien suffered a fracture in his left index finger in the last match against Australia, making it impossible for him to hit normally. However, Taiwanese coach Tseng Hao-jwi threw a game-winning move to put Chen Jie-yen as a pinch runner at the start of the 10th inning.

Chun Jessien, standing on second base with thick protective gloves, stretched out his injured left hand on Lin Ja-jeong's bunt and performed a headfirst sliding to third base. The decision was safe and a hit on the record. Taiwan, which gained momentum, completed the walk-off score by bringing Chen home with Kang Kun-yu's squeeze bunt next. In the bottom of the 10th inning, South Korea failed to score a point in the match, and Taiwan finally laughed.

According to Taiwanese media, Chen Jessien, who shed tears after the game, said, "In fact, I grew up watching him struggle with Korea from a young age. South Korea is definitely a strong team, but today's victory gave our generation confidence. Now, I am not afraid to meet Korea on the international stage. I will be able to win with confidence," he said.

"All of our players, including myself, have worked hard to prove that even small Taiwan has enough skills," he said, adding, "This years of experience will make us grow further."

Finally, Chen Jessien said, "What we can control is over. I will now leave it to fate and wait with my family," he said in the interview.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Chun Jie-en drew great attention by signing a contract worth nearly 10 billion won with his team, the Lions, for a 10-year contract period. His performance was guaranteed until the 2034 season. He was also likely to be the captain of the WBC and be placed in the top lineup of the national team, but he left a regret due to a fracture in the first game against Australia.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.