Mickey Callaway tossed five shutout innings of four-hit ball and Kuo Dai-chi went deep with a monstrous three-run homer as the Uni-President Lions defeated the Brother Elephants 10-7 in Tainan on Sunday night to clinch the first-half title of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
The American righty, who moved to the Lions with only one mission in mind — defending their title for an impressive “three-peat” kept the Elephants’ bats quiet through the first five frames.
That was more than ample for the Lions hitters to do what they do best, as they struck for a pair of runs in the first and third inning for a quick 4-0 lead, before taking a 10-run lead in a six-run fourth inning.
PHOTO: HUANG CHIH-YUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
Even though the Elephants would finally get on the board in the sixth inning with a run and then six more unanswered runs, including a big five-run eighth inning, to get to within three of the Lions, the outcome of the contest was never in doubt.
Ace closer Lin Yueh-ping recorded the final four outs to preserve the win for Callaway.
Taking the loss for the Elephants was starter Yeh Ding-ren, who allowed five runs on three hits and nine walks over three-and-a-third wild innings. The third-year lefty remained winless for the year at 0-3.
BULLS 13, BEARS 5
Shaky pitching on the part of the La New Bears, coupled with four costly errors in defense, cost the Bears the game against the Sinon Bulls in Kaohsiung on Sunday.
Trailing the Lions by half a game entering Sunday’s contest, the Bears needed to win and hope for a Lions loss in order to win the first-half title, but it was not to be as they fell short by some way.
Starter Hsu Wen-hsiung managed to last just one-and-a-third innings, while reliever Tsai Ying-fong didn’t fare much better in the two innings he pitched as they allowed five runs apiece to fall to a 2-10 deficit through the fourth.
With the big lead, Sinon starter Shoda Itsuki cruised through the sixth, pitching two-run ball before the bullpen took over.
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