CPBL: Whales bounce back to ease past T-Rex

Kang Tseh-wei’s bases-clearing three-run triple led a six-run sixth that turned a 1-5 deficit into 7-5 lead for the Chinatrust Whales, as they beat the dmedia T-Rex 7-6 at the Douliou County Baseball Stadium on Friday evening.

The soft-spoken rookie, who is known more for his glove work at shortstop than his batting, delivered a clutch shot to the opposite field off a wild Leovildo Pargas who had walked four straight batters prior to facing Kang to tie the game at 5-all.

Then came an RBI-groundout by Lin Yong-sheng and a run-scoring double by Kao Jung-chiang to put the marine creatures ahead 7-5

Unfortunately, the showdown between the two premier lefties in the league, Lai Jung-nan of the visiting T-Rex and Nee Fu-deh of the home Whales, did not live up to expectations.

Lai was forced out by a waist injury after two and two thirds innings of work and Nee being chased with no outs during the fourth for allowing five total runs.

Kao Wei’s sharp chopper through short knocked in a pair of runs for the visiting T-Rex to give them a quick 2-0 lead before they tacked on three more in the top of the fourth, courtesy of run-scoring singles from Hu Ren-wei and Wu Jia-hui and a sacrifice-fly by Wang Chuan-jia to make it 5-0

Even though the Whales got a run back in the bottom of the same inning they still trailed T-Rex by four before the big inning in the sixth that turned the game around.

Down by a deuce, dmedia made things interesting in the top of the ninth with Chen Tsong-hong leading off the inning with a rare triple and scored on the next batter when a pitch by the Whales’ Huang Hong-ren sailed wide.

Hu was then struck out by Kao Min-jing with runners on first and second to end the game.

Picking up his second win of the season with four shutout innings of two-hit relief was Liu Yu-chan who kept the Whales in the game despite the early deficit to give his offense a chance to rally from behind.

As for the T-Rex, failure to protect a four-run lead on the part of game-loser Pargas ultimately cost them the game as they squandered a good start.

Lions 8, Bulls 1

Scoring early and often, the President Lions easily handled the Sinon Bulls at home in an 8-1 trouncing at the Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium on Friday to deny the Bulls’ bid to win three in a row.

Fireballer Lin Yueh-pin continued to blossom for the Lions in his new starting role after a valiant comeback from open-heart surgery two years ago with six solid innings of one-run ball on three hits before fellow bullpen mate Chang Chih-chiang took over in the seventh and closed out the win with three scoreless innings of relief.

Doing the damage on the other side of the ball were Pan Wu-hsiung and Chen Lien-hong with three hits apiece for three combined RBIs to lead a Lions attack that teed off against the Bulls pitching with a dozen hits on the night.

After scoring a run in each of the first three innings to claim a 3-0 lead, the home Lions blew the game wide open with a five-run fourth to lead it 8-0.

That was more than ample for Lin as he allowed the lone run for the Bulls in the fifth en route to his third win of the season.