Chang “OEO” Tai-shan’s walk-off single to shallow-center field with the bases loaded scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Uni-President Lions topped the Sinon Bulls 2-1 at the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City last night.
It was a fitting way for the Lions slugger to show his former club that his potent bat is very much alive and their decision to trade him to Uni-President during the offseason could potentially be the biggest mistake made in team history.
“This is as good as it gets,” Chang said after the game while celebrating the game-winning hit with his new teammates.
His refusal to take on a player/coach role at the request of the Sinon front office was the main reason that he was sent to the Lions for NT$2.5 million (US$86,500) during the offseason. He has since hit five home runs, driven in 20 runs to lead the Cats and batted a rock-solid .316.
His addition to the Lions is the main reason that they are 15-8 and only a half-game behind the league-leading Lamigo Monkeys after missing the playoffs last year, having finished dead last in the regular season.
The Cats wasted little time against the Bulls as Chen Lien-hong legged out an infield single in the bottom of the second and scored three batters later on Chou Guang-sheng’s two-out single off Sinon starter Lin Ying-jeh for a quick 1-0 lead.
The lead would last through the fifth inning, with Lion starter Dan Reichert pitching shutout ball over the first five frames, before the Bulls finally got to him on Cheng Da-hong’s clutch single with two outs that knocked in the runner from second base to tie the game at 1-all.
That was all the runs that either pitching staff would allow through nine innings, before the Lion offense came through against the Sinon bullpen in the 10th and ripped a pair of hits off relievers Chang Geng-hao and Shen Yu-jeh to clinch the victory.
Picking up the win was reliever Pan Jung-rong, who tossed a perfect 10th for his second win of the season.
A throwing error by Shen that would have represented the second out for the Cats in the bottom of the 10th proved costly for the Bulls as it allowed two runners to advance to set up Chang’s game winner.
Chang Geng-hao was charged with his first loss of the year, even though the run he allowed was unearned.
MONKEYS 12, ELEPHANTS 1
Scoring a dozen runs on 20 hits in an offensive outburst, the Lamigo Monkeys roughed up the Brother Elephants at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium last night for their second win against the Elephants in as many days.
Kuo Yen-wen’s 4 for 6 from the plate with an RBI led a trio of Lamigo hitters that had at least three hits as the Monkeys teed off against the Brother pitching in a hitting clinic.
That made things easy for Monkey starter Ken Ray as the American right-hander cruised through the eighth inning. He allowed a run on five hits to register win No. 4 to tie teammate Adrian Burnside for most wins in the league.
Elephant starter Orlando Roman was tagged with the loss as he gave up six runs on 13 hits over seven innings, with three of the runs being unearned.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in