Taipei:The CTBC Brothers have denounced threats directed at Venezuelan pitcher Mario Sanchez on social media following their loss to the Wei Chuan Dragons in the Taiwan Series opener at Taipei Dome on Saturday evening. The threats began appearing on Sanchez's accounts on Saturday after the game.
According to Focus Taiwan, Sanchez, who refrained from speaking to the media on Sunday, addressed the situation in a statement on Instagram. He expressed his readiness to endure criticism regarding his performance but emphasized that his family should not be targeted with harmful actions.
Sanchez's wife, Fabiola San Juan Galue, also took to Instagram, revealing that they had recently endured a miscarriage and were now facing "vulgar and violent" threats on posts initially meant to celebrate their pregnancy.
The CTBC Brothers have shown their support for Sanchez. Manager Keiichi Hirano stated that the team should focus on loyal fans rather than the negative online comments. The team and Sanchez's agency have filed a police report regarding the threats and are prepared to take all necessary legal actions to safeguard their players and maintain the team's reputation.
The Taiwan Series began on Saturday with the Dragons defeating the Brothers 3-0, thanks to a strong performance by American pitcher John Gant. Although Sanchez managed to keep the game scoreless through four innings, the Dragons scored twice in the fifth and once more in the sixth. Sanchez, who ranked second in the league with 125 regular-season strikeouts, completed seven innings, conceding three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks. This loss marks a challenging start for the Brothers, who have previously finished as runners-up in all seven Taiwan Series where they lost the opener.
