Chang Tai-shan establishes new home-run mark

What a year it has been for Sinon Bulls power hitter Chang Tai-shan (張泰山).

First he reached the 100 career home-run mark in May, then came the 100 career stolen-base plateau in July and then Chang broke the single-season home run record for a Taiwanese player, which stood at 26, after hitting his 27th home run last week against the Gida.

The previous record, which was held by former Chinatrust Whale slugger Chen Wen-pin (陳文賓), stood for less than a year.

And Chang is nearing another milestone as he nears 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a single season, which would make him the first player in the league to accomplish such a feat.

At 27 homers and 19 stolen bases, Chang is not alone in his pursuit for the coveted "20-20" mark, with Peng Cheng-ming (彭政閔) and Chen Chih-yuan (陳致遠) of the Elephants also nearing the mark.

Having already stolen 20 and 30 bases respectively, Peng and Chen are two and three home runs shy, respectively, of reaching the 20-20 mark, with seven games left to play in the season.

Round Up

The President Lions kept their title hopes alive after shutting out the Makoto Gida twice earlier this week. Pan Wei-luen (潘威倫) combined with ace set-up man Kao Lung-wei (高龍偉) for a 4-0 shutout in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

Lions second baseman Yoshimi Hiroaki's two-run single in the bottom of the third was more than ample for the win because Pan and Kao never allowed any Gida runners past second base in the entire contest.

Game 2 of the series in Tainan was no different, as former major leaguer John Frascatore cruised to his second complete-game shutout win of the season. The right-hander from Ozone Park, New York is 7-3 in 12 starts since joining the team in early July.

Both runs against Gida starter Tsai Shih-ching (蔡世勤) came early in the game. An error by shortstop Kao Cheng-wei (高正偉) in the first gave the Lions a 1-0 lead, which doubled in the second inning after Hsu Sheng-jeh's (許聖杰) solo home run over the left-field wall.

Gida starter Tsai Shih-ching pitched a decent game, holding a desperate Lions lineup to seven hits in 6-1/3 innings of work.

For the third consecutive game, the Gida offense was completely shutdown.

Upcoming Games

The Lions will finish their final home-stand of the season with Games 3 and 4 of the series scheduled for today and tomorrow in Tainan.

A series between the Elephants and the Bulls is being played in Hsinchuang yesterday and Sunday, and in Tienmu tomorrow.

With their playoff hopes long gone, the Whales visited the First Securities Agan in Kaohsiung yesterday, and will continue the series today and Sunday.