Liu Geng-hsin’s base-clearing double capped a three-run seventh as the Brother Elephants topped the La New Bears 4-2 at the Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium in Tianmu on Saturday night.
The win not only avenged an embarrassing 17-0 shutout the night before, but helped even the weekend series at one win apiece.
The showdown between a pair of local aces — former major leaguer Tsao Chin-hui of the Elephants and former Seibu Lions (of Japan’s NPB) star Chang Chih-jia — lived up to its billing, with Tsao taking a 1-0 shutout through the sixth in a brilliant three-hitter before Liu’s three-run double made it 4-0 after the seventh.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
With Tsao on the bench after 93 pitches, the Bears rallied in the eighth with a pair of runs, courtesy of Taiwan’s first major leaguer Chen Chin-fong’s two-run single off reliever Matt Perisho to halve the deficit.
Perisho managed to get out of the inning without further damage, however, before fellow countryman Ryan Cullen closed it out with a perfect ninth to convert his fifth straight save and preserve the seventh win of the year for Tsao.
BULLS 2, LIONS 1
The Sinon Bulls also avenged a lopsided loss on Saturday, scoring two early runs and holding on for dear life to turn back the Uni-President Lions 2-1 in Taichung to even their weekend set at one game apiece.
The pitchers’ duel between the Lions’ Pan “Du Du” Wei-luen and the Bulls’ Lin Ying-jeh saw Lin enjoying early success, with his offense scoring a run each in the first and second to spot him a quick 2-0 lead.
Lin held a potent Lions lineup scoreless through the sixth in a four-hit gem before turning to his bullpen to close out the deal for him. Tsai Ming-jin pitched into and out of trouble in a bumpy seventh, escaping the inning unscathed despite allowing two hits and a walk.
The Lions finally broke through in the eighth by capitalizing on two defensive errors to score their first run of the contest, but saw their chance to plate the tying run gunned down at home in an attempt to score all the way from first.
That was all the Lions could muster, with Yu Wen-pin and Shen Yu-jeh combining to record the final three outs to keep Lin’s fourth win of the year intact.
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