Curtis Granderson’s grand slam takes MLB All-Stars to 7-0 shut-out over Chinese Taipei
The New York Yankees centre-fielder Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam to lead the Major League Baseball All-Star team to a 7-0 shutout against Taiwan’s national team at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New Taipei City on Tuesday, November 1.
In the rain shortened outing, the Yankees’ star slugger connected deep into the stands against the opposite pitcher Yao Hsun Yang in the third inning. The crowd was electrified to see the brilliance of the MLB in their home ground in a game that was reduced
to six innings.
It was the first match-up of Granderson and Yang, but the left-hander did not stumble at any moment, waited until 2-2 for a pitch and launched deep into the left-centre to record his first grand slam in China. In a packed stadium under the floodlights, the
three bases were loaded and the pressure to save his stardom was at his back, but Granderson removed it beautifully to thrill the entire crowd.
"I didn't know what he would throw," he said. "I had to make adjustments."
The San Francisco Giants’ Bruce Bochy, who disclosed that he was a big fan of the Granderson, is managing the MLB club.
"Of course, Curtis with the grand slam, that kind of jump started everything," he said.
Big leaguers were 4-0 ahead at the end of the third inning and then Florida Marlins’ Emilio Bonifacio scored a single in the fourth inning to take the group to a 5-0 lead. In the fifth, Michael Morse of the Washington Nationals touched a double off the wall
to take the club to 7-0 in the fifth inning.
The Major League team will play the second of their five scheduled games on Wednesday at the Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung. It is a great chance for the Taiwanese players to sharpen their talent, as the Major League team is equipped with stars. Yankees’
second baseman Robinson Cano is also the part of the team. On Monday, Cano practiced with his father Jose Cano to earn money for a charity here at the Xinzhuang Stadium.
San Francisco Giants’ Pablo Sandoval, Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremy Guthrie, Jay Ray and many other stars from different clubs are the part of the MLB squad.
The club will now play two games in the International Stadium in Taichung and then the last two in the Chengcing Lake Stadium in Kaohsiung. The tour is among the efforts of MLB in trying to introduce the game in other regions of the World.
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