Blown Out 5-0 and Humiliated by 15 Strikeouts... Taiwanese Media: "We Nearly Suffered a No-Hitter, Completely Shut Down by South Korea's Pitching" [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] It was truly a blowout. Faced with a pitching staff on another level, Taiwan's lineup had to hold its breath until the final moment of the ninth inning. The South Korea national baseball team's dominant pitching staff put on a strikeout show against rival Taiwan and secured a comprehensive victory.
The South Korea national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, opened the tournament in impressive fashion with a 5-0 rout of Taiwan in the first game of Group B in the baseball group stage at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on the 21st at Okazaki Central Comprehensive Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
The highlight of the game was undoubtedly South Korea's dominant display on the mound. Starter Kwak Bin (Doosan Bears) was a nightmare for Taiwan's lineup. Relying on a heavy fastball and sharply breaking pitches, Kwak Bin delivered a no-hit outing over six innings. He struck out 10 of the 18 batters he retired, more than half, leaving Taiwan's hitters swinging at air.

Taiwan's nightmare did not end after the starter left the game. Jo Byeong-hyeon (SSG Landers) and Park Yeong-hyun (KT Wiz), two of the KBO League's top bullpen arms, took the mound in succession and quickly dispatched the seventh and eighth innings with fastballs well over 150 kph. South Korea's pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts on the day.
After being thoroughly suppressed without a single hit through eight innings, Taiwan's lineup finally managed back-to-back hits from Chen Chen-wei and Huang Wei-sheng in the top of the ninth, narrowly avoiding the humiliation of being no-hit as a team.

Taiwan was stunned by South Korea's overwhelming performance on the mound. Taiwan's leading newspaper United Daily News lamented, "Taiwan's lineup was completely shut down and nearly suffered the humiliation of being no-hit," adding, "In the end, we managed just two hits and 15 strikeouts and suffered a painful shutout loss."
Chen Chen-wei, the Taiwanese batter who recorded his team's first hit after immense difficulty, also voiced his deep disappointment.
He said in a local interview, "There may be some difference in the strength of South Korea and Taiwan, but I did not think it would be enough for us to suffer a shutout loss like this. Since we could meet again in the gold medal game, I vowed that I must get a hit in my final at-bat."
The South Korea national baseball team completely crushed rival Taiwan's spirit with its overpowering pitching. After proving its clear superiority on the mound, the team began a powerful charge toward a fourth consecutive Asian Games title.

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