Europe’s two nations in Group A go undefeated against the higher-ranked Asia powerhouses.
Box score
SEOUL — New York Yankee shortstop Didi Gregorius hit three doubles to help power No. 9 Netherlands past No. 4 Chinese Taipei, 6-5, and qualify into the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.
Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning, Jurickson Profar (Texas Rangers – MLB) walked with the bases to decide the game at the Gocheok Sky Dome.
Gregorius, in the line-up as a designated hitter, had three RBI and two runs scored – his third double tied the game at 5-5 in bottom of the 8th inning.
Chih-Hao Chang had a 2-run home run as part of a 3-run 5th inning that gave Chinese Taipei a 5-4 lead.
Dutch relief pitcher Shairon Martis earned the win.
The European nations – Netherlands and Israel – will advance out of Group A to the quarterfinal round at the Tokyo Dome, while Asian powerhouses Chinese Taipei and Korea will exit the global tournament following the final contests in Seoul on Thursday.
