Preview: Chinese Taipei need to win, Japan cannot afford losing

The last game of the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS Super Round will see World No. 1 Japan face No. 2 Chinese Taipei in the night game at the Tokyo Dome. Chinese Taipei needs a win, but Japan can't afford to lose because a three-way tie at the top of the standings is still possible.

Chinese Taipei will hand the ball to left-hander Yu-Min Lin, a 21-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks prospect who started 19 games at Double-A and finished the season at Triple. Lin started the game against Korea during the Opening Round, going 4.2 innings without getting a decision.

"Lin is our best pitcher, and he will start. The game will dictate what happens next," said manager Hao-Jiu Tseng. "We know how strong Japan is; we have already faced them in Taipei. We will do all we can to win."

Takahisa Hayakawa will start for Japan. The 26-year-old left-hander posted an 11-6 record for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2024 with a 3.34 earned run average. It will be Hayakawa's second start in the Premier12 2024. He went 5.1 innings against Cuba and allowed four earned runs.

"We've already played Chinese Taipei once, so we know what kind of team they are," commented Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata. "We want to come together as a team again and give our best effort."

Since 2011, Japan and Chinese Taipei have faced each other 37 times. Japan won 22 times.

Japan beat Chinese Taipei, 3-1, in the Opening Round. They also won the head-to-head during the Premier12 2019 Opening Round, 8-1. In 2024, the two programmes also clashed in the U-15 Baseball World Cup Super Round. Chinese Taipei won the game, 6-5. Japan became the U-15 Baseball World Champions.