Nine early runs paved the way as the La New Bears roughed up the Brother Elephants 10-4 at the Kaohsiung County Baseball Stadium on Friday night to open their three-game weekend series on a high note.
The win nipped a two-game slide for the Bears and left them sharing the league’s lead with the Uni-President Lions.
Starter Hsu Wen-hsiung held the Elephants to three runs on seven hits over six innings for a second straight quality start and his third win of the season.
Slugger Chen Chin-fong had three RBIs on a 2-for-4 night, championing a Bears attack that rang up 14 hits off four Elephants hurlers. The former Major Leaguer also took over the lead in total RBIs with 32 in the 31contests that he had played this season.
Elephants starter Kobayashi Ryokan had a dismal outing that only lasted one-and-a-third innings with five allowed runs on eight hits in his third straight setback.
LIONS 9, BULLS 6
Uni-President Lions batters had 18 hits in a 9-6 triumph at the Taipei County Baseball Stadium in Sinjhuang on Friday night.
Four players had three-hit games for the Lions, led by Chuang Jing-heh. Chuang also drove in three runs for his team in his most productive outing of the season.
Bulls starter Lin Keh-chien — who came into the game with a 4-1 record — was taught a hard lesson as the rookie sensation gave up a season-high seven runs in three-plus innings before being chased in the fourth. His ERA rose more than a whole run from a solid 2.83 to 4.06.
Lions starter Mickey Callaway of the US improved to 4-2 for the year, giving up three runs on five hits in as many innings before turning to his bullpen for the finish.
The Taiwan Daredevils yesterday won one and lost one in the Taiwan Premier League, dispatching TCA with ease, but stumbling against Formosa. In the morning match at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山), the Daredevils’ Johan Koekemoer carried his side to 141-6 with 44 from 45 in their 20 overs. George Klopper’s right-arm spin dominated in the run chase. He claimed 4-5 from 3.3 overs as TCA slumped to 77 all out. The highlight of the innings was a stunning catch at cover as Jeff Black turned back the years to pull in a full-blooded drive on the dive
The Hsinchu Titans yesterday made a strong start in Group A of the Taiwan Premier League in Taipei, winning two games as the 10-team T20 competition began at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground. Chetan Sharma scored 57 from 30 deliveries in the morning match as the Titans made 178-7 against the Taipei Indians, who helped their opponents’ cause with 26 extras. Pramod Mandal took 3-11 as the Indians struggled to 126-8 in reply. The Taipei Stallions posed a greater hurdle to the Titans in the afternoon match, posting 163-7 after choosing to bat first. Hassaan Samad smashed 77 from 44 with seven fours and six
Alexander Zverev on Wednesday reached his 18th ATP Masters semi-final in Rome, but only after a worrying fall which sparked memories of the horror injury he had at the French Open two years ago. The world No. 5 from Germany defeated Taylor Fritz of the US 6-4, 6-3 in Italian Open to set up a last-four duel with Alejandro Tabilo, the Chilean journeyman who had stunned world No. 1 Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament. Zverev’s moment of concern came in just the third game on center court at the Foro Italico when he fell on the clay and landed on his
Shohei Ohtani’s first walk-off hit for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday was also his first game-ending hit in the majors in nearly four years. His still-new teammates and fans who celebrated with him at Chavez Ravine expect to see many more feats from a superstar who is somehow getting even better in Dodger blue. Ohtani pulled a low fastball to right with two outs in the 10th inning, scoring Jason Heyward and ending the Dodgers’ 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Two teammates doused Ohtani with water, while a crowd of 52,656 roared for the latest feat by the US$700 million slugger. “We