WATCH LIVE: Italy vs. Chinese Taipei on Tubi

Italy will look to enhance to 2-0, and Chinese Taipei will attempt to get into the win column for the primary time on this yr’s World Baseball Classic because the groups face off in a Pool A matchup on Friday at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.

With a four-run rally within the high of the tenth inning on Thursday, Italy picked up an enormous tournament-opening victory over Cuba, 6-3. John Valente delivered a go-ahead single within the tenth, and that was adopted by a Dominic Fletcher RBI double and a two-run single by Nicky Lopez to interrupt issues open.

Chinese Taipei misplaced its WBC opener, 12-5, to Panama on Wednesday. Tsung-Che Cheng tripled as a part of a 3-for-5 efficiency, and Nien-Ting Wu went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, however a five-run fourth inning and a six-run sixth have been an excessive amount of to beat.

Here’s what it’s good to know for Friday’s matchup:

Where: Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan

How you’ll be able to watch: The recreation between Italy and Chinese-Taipei is airing now on Tubi. Games can be found on FOX, FS1, FS2, Tubi or FOX Deportes, and each recreation might be streamed on-line within the FOX Sports App. For worldwide viewing choices, click on right here.

How you’ll be able to hear: Live audio protection of all video games will likely be carried on SiriusXM, TuneIn, MLB.com and within the MLB App.

What’s at stake: The 20 groups have been positioned in 4 swimming pools of 5 groups for the primary spherical of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with every workforce taking part in the others in its pool as soon as every and the groups with the 2 greatest information in every pool on the finish of this spherical advancing to the knockout stage.

Matchup historical past: This would be the first time Italy and Chinese Taipei meet within the WBC.

Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Italy: Pasquantino went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in Italy’s tournament-opening win over Cuba, and after hitting 10 homers in 258 at-bats throughout his 2022 rookie marketing campaign with the Royals, he’ll absolutely be wanting so as to add some slugging for supervisor Mike Piazza’s membership.

Li Lin, 2B, Chinese Taipei: Lin went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and an RBI in Chinese Taipei’s loss to Panama. Look for the 27-year-old slugger to ship some energy after profitable the Chinese Professional Baseball League MVP Award in 2022. He additionally gained the league’s Triple Crown final season by hitting .335 with 14 homers and 83 RBIs.