Taking advantage of a strong performance from starter Mickey Callaway, the Uni-President Lions baffled the La New Bears in a 5-0 shutout at the Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium on Sunday, winning their three-game series 2-1.
The American righty — who played in the Majors and Korea’s KBO for several seasons before joining the Lions at the start of this season — allowed only three hits while fanning six in six-and-a-third innings before his bullpen took over with flawless relief.
It was a particularly sweet win for the Lions not only because it helped them clinch the series, but because it nipped Bears slugger Lin Chih-sheng’s five-game homer streak, keeping Lin from tying the Lions’ Pan Wu-hsiung’s six-game streak record for a Taiwanese player (the league mark is seven, set by former Lions great Tilson Brito).
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
Sunday’s contest saw the home Cats jumping all over Bears starter Wu Si-yo in the early going, with three quick runs on a pair of singles and three deadly walks in the second. A balk by Wu with runners at the corners in the fourth scored the Lions’ fourth run of the game.
Huang Kan-lin’s RBI-single off Bears reliever Tsai Ying-fong in the fifth concluded the scoring for the Lions and that was more than ample for Callaway and the Lions bullpen as they kept the Bears offense in check all day.
BULLS 8, ELEPHANTS 6
The Sinon Bulls continued their dominance over the Brother Elephants with an 8-6 win in Kaohsiung on Sunday to sweep the three-game series.
Hsieh “the Ugly” Jian-shien’s three-run homer capped a seven-run second that saw the Bulls send 10 men to the plate as they enjoyed a surprising 7-0 lead against Elephants ace Liao “the Golden Submarine” Yu-cheng.
Even though the Elephants offense got five of the seven runs back in the top of the fourth by batting around the order against Bulls starter Yang Jien-fu and got the go-ahead run on with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh, that was as close as they got as the Bulls bullpen held its ground to preserve the second win of the year for Yang.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
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