Graceful Defense and Bloodied Baserunning: Kuo Tian-Hsin Slides Home for Walk-Off Win, Avoiding Extra Innings

(Taipei, April 11, CNA by reporter Su Chih-Yu) Wei Chuan Dragons outfielder Kuo Tian-Hsin emerged as the invisible MVP today. In the top of the 9th inning, a diving catch caused his finger to bleed; in the bottom of the 9th, he ran home through blood to score the walk-off run. After the game, Kuo admitted he didn’t look at the base coach’s signal during the crucial play, saying, 'I just didn’t want to go into overtime.'

The Dragons reversed a 4-3 victory over the CTBC Brothers today. Trailing by one run in the top of the 9th, Kuo spread his 'sky net' in center field, diving to catch Wang Cheng-Hsun’s hard-hit line drive, robbing what could have been an extra-base hit. In the bottom of the 9th, Kuo hit a double to set up runners on second and third, paving the way for Chu Yu-Hsien’s walk-off single that turned the game around.

After the game, Kuo’s pants were stained with blood. In a media interview, he explained that friction during the dive caused a blister on his little finger, which burst and continued bleeding. He tried to bandage it and stop the bleeding before continuing to bat, saying, 'I just wanted to do my best to help the pitcher and the team.'

After Chu’s hit, Kuo sprinted from second base to home plate, nearly getting tagged out but using technique to evade the catcher’s glove. He admitted he didn’t watch the third-base coach’s signal, as he was solely focused on avoiding extra innings. 'While I trust my judgment and the result was good, I should’ve paid attention to the coach,' he said. (Editor: Chang Ya-Ching) 1150611

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