Major Leaguers Take Game 2, Defeat Taiwan 5-3

It wasn't pretty, but the Major League All Stars got the job once again in Taiwan taking the second game of their 5 game series by a score of 5-3. The Major Leaguers jumped out to an early lead when Curtis Granderson (Yankees) delivered an rbi groundout in the bottom of the first to score Erick Aybar (Angels). Two innings later they'd add another run when starting right fielder Josh Reddick (Red Sox) led off the bottom of the third with a double and then came around to score when Chih-Pei Huang couldn't come up with a throw to first on what would've been a double play ball.

Taiwan wouldn't go easily in this one though finally getting to starting pitcher Ross Detwiler (Nationals) in the of the 4th when Indians prospect Chun-Hsiu Chen and Huang hit back-to-back one out doubles giving Taiwan their first run of the series and cutting the lead in half. An inning later, Taiwan got to Brewers reliever LaTroy Hawkins as five straight hitters reached base with a walk and 4 singles. However, Taiwan was limited to just two runs as Reddick threw out Po-Ting Hsiao trying to go from first to third for the second out, and then cut down Mariners prospect Kuo-Hui Lo at home to end the inning. Still, Taiwan's home crowd was energized as they now had the lead for the first time in the series.

The Major Leaguers threatened to tie the game almost immediately in the bottom of the 5th when Reddick and Andres Torres (Giants) drew back to back walks to start the inning then were sacrificed into scoring position by Aybar putting runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out for Granderson. But Granderson flew out to left and Reddick got a taste of his own medicine getting gunned down at home by Wang-Wei Lin. The Major Leaguers would threaten again in the sixth inning though as Robinson Cano (Yankees) and Pablo Sandoval (Giants) both hit singles putting runners at the corners with one out. Then Taiwan's normally reliable defense had another miscue, their third of the evening, as Ronny Paulino (Mets) hit a bullet at third baseman Wei-Chih Chen, but the line drive deflected off of his glove and into left field to tie the game. All three of Taiwan's errors led either directly or indirectly to runs in this game.

In the 7th inning, the Major Leaguers were at it again. Reddick led off with a double, Torres bunted him over to third and then Reddick scored on a wild pitch from former Rockies prospect Ching-Lung Lo. The Major Leaguers would tack on another run in the 7th when Granderson drew a 2-out walk and Cano, who seemed to be refinding his stroke after a quiet Game 1, drilled an rbi double into the gap in right-center. The Major League bullpen would take care of the rest as Ramon Ramirez (Giants) threw a scoreless 8th getting a pair of strikeouts and Cincinnati Reds lefty Bill Bray tossed a 1-2-3 9th inning for the save. Here's a look at the box score:

TAIWAN

MAJOR LEAGUE ALL STARS