CPBLIt could not have come at a better time. Huang Chung-yi's 100th career home run, a walk-off solo shot to dead-center off Brother Elephants reliever Wu Bao-shien in the bottom of the tenth, gave the Sinon Bulls a 1-0 win in their series-opener at Taichung on Tuesday night.
The homer put the 14-year veteran in good company with teammate Chang "Prince of the Forest" Tai-shan as the only two players in league history to reach the 1000-hit, 100-homer, and 100-stolen base plateau with 1459 hits and 158 stolen bases in an illustrious career.
"It's been one long, tough ride for me over the years," Huang said after the game reflecting on his long and accomplished career.
PHOTO: CHAN CHAO-YANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"I didn't think I could do it [reach the 100-homer milestone]," he added.
Huang began the season with 97 homers to his credit and had been sitting on number 98 since June 30, before last Saturday's number 99.
Alfredo Gonzalez of the Dominican Republic and American righty Chuck Smith both pitched well for the Bulls and the Elephants respectively, with nine shutout innings of work apiece before Huang's blast settled things up at the end in dramatic fashion.
Neither starter ended up with a decision in the game as the victory went to Bulls reliever Kuo Yong-chih for tossing a scoreless tenth while his counterpart Wu suffered the devastating loss for yielding the historical homer to Huang.
The shutout loss upped the Elephants' losing streak to five straight while extending their scoring drought to 35 innings and counting, one shy of the league record of 36 set by the Macoto Cobras over a tough mid-season stretch in 2003.
Cobras 3, Lions 2
The Bulls' 1-0 win was not the only one-run game on the night as the Macoto Cobras capitalized on an early defensive miscue by the President Lions for a narrow 3-2 road victory in Tainan.
Yang Rei-chih led off the game with a clean double off Lions starter Tsao Jung-yang and scored two batters later on Hsieh "the Ugly" Jia-shien's RBI single to right before Lions shortstop Luis Ugueto's throwing error on a would-be inning-ending double play scored another run to put the Cobras on top 2-0.
The Lions would get a run back in the bottom of the third when Kuo Dai-chi's two-out single off Cobras starter Chang Hsien-chih brought home the runner on second to half the Cobras lead to 2-1.
Thomas Brice's rare triple off Tsao in the top of the fifth scored the runner all the way from first for the serpents' third run of the contest which proved to be the difference in the game as the Lions rang up another run in the seventh to remain within striking distance.
Unfortunately for the cats, that was as close as they got as relievers Jose Santiago and James Lira Cobras each pitched a perfect inning late in the game to preserve starter Chang's seventh win of the year.
Offensively for the Lions, four different batters had two hits for the game in which they actually outhit the Cobras by a slim 10-9 margin.
Taking the tough loss was Tsao who allowed three runs (two earned) and eight hits over five innings to drop to a 2-5 record for the year.
American League
AP, BOSTON
The Detroit Tigers lost second baseman Placido Polanco to a shoulder injury that caused Ivan Rodriguez to play second base, then beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 Tuesday on Craig Monroe's ninth-inning pop single.
Boston fell three games behind New York in the American League East.
Polanco was hurt making a diving catch in short-center ending the seventh. Although he prevented the potential tying run from scoring, Polanco left the game with a trainer helping to support his left arm.
Because Brandon Inge had already been used as a defensive replacement, Rodriguez had to move from catcher to second base, with Vance Wilson taking over behind the plate. Rodriguez had never played second base in 2,256 previous major and minor league games.
Detroit squandered a 2-1 lead when David Ortiz tied it in the eighth with his major league-leading 111th RBI -- his first in six games. But Mike Timlin (5-2) walked Guillen leading off the ninth, then Sean Casey moved him to third with his third hit of the game.
Monroe popped the ball up down the right-field line, but Wily Mo Pena let it glance off his glove as he approached the wall, and first-base umpire Bruce Froemming signaled fair. Pena picked the ball up and caught Monroe off first base, but it was too late to keep the Tigers from winning their second in a row after coming to Boston with a five-game losing streak.
Yankees 6, Orioles 3
At New York, Johnny Damon hit a tying home run and Robinson Cano sliced an RBI double in the seventh inning as New York rallied to hand Baltimore its fifth straight loss.
Third baseman Melvin Mora's leaping catch -- which sent him for X-rays on his left thumb -- helped Erik Bedard leave after six innings with a 3-1 lead.
Twins 4, Indians 1
At Minneapolis, Johan Santana threw eight shutout innings of three-hit ball, pitching Minnesota to a victory over Cleveland.
Michael Cuddyer drove in two runs and Joe Mauer had an RBI single for the Twins, who stopped Cleveland's six-game winning streak. Santana (14-5) struck out nine and walked one before Joe Nathan gave up an RBI single to Travis Hafner in the ninth.
Blue Jays 4, Devil Rays 3
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Roy Halladay became the first 15-game winner in the major leagues this season, and Toronto sent Tampa Bay to its seventh straight loss.
Halladay (15-3) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, struck three and walked one, improving to 4-1 against Tampa Bay this season. He had been tied at 14 wins with Detroit's Justin Verlander and Boston's Curt Schilling.
Royals 4, White Sox 2
At Chicago, Mark Teahen and Emil Brown homered, and Kansas City stopped Chicago's five-game winning streak.
Chicago, which lost for the second time in eight games, trails Detroit by 6 1/2 games in the AL Central and holds a two-game lead over Minnesota in the wild-card race. Kansas City had lost five straight since sweeping a three-game series against Boston last week.
Angels 9, Rangers 7
At Arlington, Texas, Vladimir Guerrero hit a three-run homer, and Chone Figgins' two-run triple in the eighth inning sent Los Angeles past Texas.
Rangers starter Vicente Padilla was ejected for hitting two batters with pitches and nearly plunking a third in only 3 2-3 innings.
Athletics 11, Mariners 2
At Oakland, California, Nick Swisher had a three-run double and drove in four runs to help Kirk Saarloos (5-6) win for the first time in more than two months, and extend Oakland's winning streak against Seattle to 14 games.
National League
David Dellucci hit a three-run homer, Shane Victorino also connected and the Philadelphia Phillies overcame three homers from Jose Reyes on Tuesday to rout the New York Mets for the second straight night, 11-4.
Reyes became the seventh player to hit three homers in a game for the Mets, who have a 13-game lead over the Phillies in the National League East. He is the eighth player -- it's been done 16 times -- to homer from both sides of the plate for New York.
Randy Wolf pitched seven innings for his first win since coming back from elbow ligament replacement surgery. Wolf (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits, and helped himself with two hits and two RBIs.
Nationals 5, Braves 0
At Washington, Pedro Astacio pitched 4 2-3 perfect innings for Washington en route to a two-hit shutout of Atlanta
Brewers 6, Pirates 3
At Pittsburgh, Bill Hall hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh for only the second time in their last nine tries.
Doug Davis (9-6) pitched seven effective innings, Corey Hart homered and Tony Graffanino added a two-run double for the Brewers, who snapped Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak.
Cardinals 5, Reds 0
At St. Louis, Chris Carpenter pitched a four-hitter and Ronnie Belliard had three hits and two RBIs in his biggest game since joining St. Louis at the trade deadline, helping it beat Cincinnati and stop a three-game skid.
Chris Duncan hit a two-run homer off Aaron Harang (12-8) as part of a three-hit night and Albert Pujols also had three hits for the NL Central leaders, who totaled three runs while getting swept in a three-game weekend series at last-place Pittsburgh.
Giants 3, Padres 2
Shea Hillenbrand singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning and San Francisco beat slumping San Diego.
Rookie Eliezer Alfonzo had three hits for the last-place Giants, who won their second straight game after losing five in a row. San Francisco won for just the fifth time in 21 games.
Dodgers 4, Marlins 0
Chad Billingsley allowed three hits over seven innings, Kenny Lofton hit an RBI double to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh, and the streaking Los Angeles Dodgers won their sixth straight and for the 17th time in 18 games.
Cubs 8, Astros 6, 18 innings
At Houston, Matt Murton hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and a two-run single in the 18th, sending Chicago to a victory in the longest regular-season game in Houston's Minute Maid Park history.
Murton sent the game to extra innings with a leadoff homer in the ninth off Astros closer Brad Lidge, who blew a save in a game Roger Clemens started for the second time in a month.
Arizona 2, Rockies 1, 18 innings
At Denver, Luis Gonzalez singled to drive in Eric Byrnes with one out in the 18th inning, and Arizona beat Colorado in the longest game in Rockies history.
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