Chen Chih-hong’s second-inning double with a runner on third scored the lone run in the game for the Brother Elephants as they blanked the Sinon Bulls in a 1-0 gem at the Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium in Tianmu last night to sweep the weekend series.
The fifth-year catcher out of Chinese Culture University, who is known more for his glove work behind the plate than for a big bat, nailed a 2-2 offering from La New starter Luis Villarreal over the rightfielder’s head to score what ended up being the game-winner.
“I knew he [Villarreal] had to come with something hard, so I was ready for it,” Chen said after the game.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
He would collect two hits on the night to make the most of his turn in his rotation with veteran catcher Yeh Jung-chang, who was signed at the start of the season to groom Chen.
On the mound for the Elephants in his 10th-straight quality start was right-hander Jim Magrane of the US, who pitched eight magnificent innings of two-hit ball with no walks to win his eighth of the year.
“My curve ball and cutter were both working well today and that’s what we [Magrane and his catcher Chen] decided to go with,” Magrane explained in the post-game interview.
He has won five in a row since dropping five straight from late April to the middle of May.
Sure-handed closer Ryan Cullen retired the side in order in a perfect ninth to earn his third save in as many days to up his league-leading save total to 22 for the year.
He has already surpassed his 21 saves last season with nearly 40 games remaining this year.
Lions 10, Bulls 6
The Uni-President Lions won their weekend series in the north against the Sinon Bulls last night with a convincing 10-6 victory at the Taipei County Baseball Stadium in Sinjhuang to force a three-way tie for the lead in the standings with the Elephants and the Bulls.
Kao Chih-kang’s two-run double in the top of the third sparked what would be a six-run inning for the Lions’ offense that proved to be the difference in the game as the Bulls fought back with five runs in an otherwise fairly close contest.
The double-digit run support made a winner out of Lions starter Pan “Du Du” Wei-luen, who picked up his eighth win of the season to up his career total to 97. The Lions ace is in line to become the fastest player to reach the century mark in career wins after posting double-digit wins in every one of the past seven seasons.
In addition to Kao’s three-for-five night with a pair of RBIs, Liu Fu-hao also had a big day at the plate for the Cats as the speedy outfielder belted two hits to drive in three on the night.
Taking the loss for the slumping Bulls was starter Chang Geng-hao, who allowed six runs on five hits and three walks over two-and-a-third innings of work in his shortest start of the season.
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