Shih Chih-wei (
The contest between the top rookies in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (Team Read) and the best amateurs currently playing in the minor-league system (Team White) was won by Team Red in a 12-7 final.
Shih's perfect 4-for-4 night made him the runaway MVP winner. The Bears' first-round draft choice is enjoying a fine rookie season with a team-high .283 batting average and 30 RBI.
His 71 hits so far place him third in the league, behind Brother Elephants' hitting machines Peng "Chia Chia" Cheng-ming (
"I'm grateful to the veteran hitters on the team for showing me a lot of their techniques," Shih said in the post-game interview. "I wouldn't have improved as much and as quickly if it weren't for them."
He took home a crystal trophy on top of a check for NT$100,000.
Lin missed hitting for the cycle by a home run, as the first-year shortstop belted a single, a double, and a rare triple off three different Team White pitchers that had fans chanting "Lin Chih-sheng, home run!" during his entire final at-bat.
"I guess I was trying too hard in the fourth-and-final at-bat to get the cycle," Lin said after the game. "It was, nonetheless, a great experience."
Team Red jumped to a 8-0 lead after two frames against starter Cheng Jia-ming (
Red relievers Wu Sih-yo (
Budding Bear talent Tsai Jien-wei (
"With this kind of talent waiting to explode, this team [the Bears] could be very dangerous as soon as next season," baseball commentator Tseng Wen-cheng (
Heavy thunderstorms earlier in the afternoon caused the home-run contest to be cancelled.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who