Luis Ugueto became the first President Lions player to have a multi-homer game on Sunday when he drove the ball out of the park twice off Brother Elephants starter Yofu Tetsu to help the cats beat the Elephants 8-6 in the day game of a double-header at Kaohsiung.
The Venezuelan shortstop who is known more for his stellar defensive play than an ability to hit the long ball collected five RBIs on a 3-for-5 day with a three-run shot in the fourth following his two-run blast in the opening inning to account for more than half over the offense for the game.
The eight runs by the Lions was the second most runs that the worst-hitting offense in the league had produced in the 34 games thus far, bailing out a poor start by veteran righty Tsao Jung-yang, who allowed four runs on six hits over three-plus innings to escape what surely would have been a ugly loss for the Lions.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PRESIDENT LIONS
The Lion's 3-0, first-inning lead was quickly erased in the top of the fourth when the Elephants strung together five hits for four runs to chase Tsao before the Lions returned the favor with four runs of their own in the bottom of the same inning, highlighted by the Ugueto's three-run shot, to regain a 7-4 lead.
After the Lions made it 8-4 in the fifth with outfielder Liu Fu-hao's sacrifice fly, the Elephants got a pair of runs back in the sixth to round out all the scoring for the game as the Lions bullpen held up in the final three innings to preserve the win.
Rookie right-hander Cheng Bo-ren was credited with his second win of the year for pitching two innings of one-hit relief, while the Elephants' Yofu suffered his third setback of the season, allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits in four innings of work.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PRESIDENT LIONS
The night game had the Lions trailing 2-1 against an outstanding three-hit effort by rookie starter Liao Yu-cheng through the first six innings until the bottom of the seven, when catcher Kao Chih-kang's liner up the middle off Brother reliever Chuang Pei-chuan scored the equalizer to force a 2-2 tie.
Second baseman Yang Seng's clutch single with the bases loaded off Brother closer Blas Cedeno in the bottom of the ninth then deliver the game-winner in a 3-2 final to complete the double-header sweep.
Bill Pulsipher of the US was rock solid in his Taiwanese debut with eight innings of two-run ball (one earned) on seven hits and four strikeouts for the Lions. But the former major leaguer was not able to pick up the win despite the quality start as the Lions offense struck one inning too late, handing the victory to reliever Lin Yueh-pin instead. Lin worked a one-hit ninth for the win to improve to 3-4 this year.
Cobras 4, Bears 0
Lin "Little Chick" En-yu went nine strong innings on five scattered singles for the Macoto Cobras as they blanked the league-leading La New Bears 4-0 in Tianmu to salvage a 2-2 split in the four-game series for the week.
The complete-game shutout by Lin, his second of the season, not only provided the shorthanded Cobras some much needed rest, it upped the serpents to No. 3 in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League standings, ahead of the Elephants who lost on the day.
Catcher Wu Jau-hui's run-scoring single in the second got the Cobras a quick 1-0 lead against Bears starter Hsu Wen-hsiung before team captain Chiou Chang-rong added to the Cobras lead in the sixth with a two-run single to make it 3-0 in favor of the Cobras.
The normally explosive Bears lineup was shutout for only the third time this year with its golden hitting foursome consisting of Lin Chih-sheng. Chen Chin-fong, Todd Betts and Pan Chung-wei all going hitless for the first time this season.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two