The top-ranked Uni-President Lions needed three unanswered runs over the final two innings to defeat the Brother Elephants 9-5 in Pingtung on Sunday and maintain their slim one-game lead over the Lamigo Monkeys in the standings, but it was a costly victory for the Lions as their top RBI specialist, Chen Yong-chi, suffered a fractured left tibia after he fouled off a pitch that nailed him in the most vulnerable part of his left leg.
In the 45 games that the Lions’ No. 1 pick has played this season, he has amassed an amazing 34 RBIs to lead his team in RBIs, hits (62) and batting average (.341).
“We definitely won’t be the same team without him [Chen], that’s for sure, but that’s part of the game,” Lions manager Lu Wen-sheng said earlier this week.
Chen could be out for as long as three months pending a second opinion from the Lions medical staff, leaving the CPBL leaders without his invaluable services in a tight pennant race with the Monkeys.
Without Chen in the lineup to lead the offense, the Lions lost the only game they have played since Sunday, a 5-1 defeat as the heart of the order batted a combined one-for-11 with one RBI. He will definitely be sorely missed.
Chen’s misfortune is not the only injury a high-profile player suffered in the league this week. The Monkeys also lost their top slugger, “Mr Everything” Lin Chih-sheng, to a stress fracture of his ribs, curbing the current home run leader and the two-time defending home run champ’s playing time for at least a week.
“He [Lin] is the kind of player who gives his all every time he steps into a batter’s box. We hope to see him in action sometime next week,” Monkeys skipper Hong Yi-chung was quoted as saying yesterday.
While injuries have affected the Lions and the Monkeys, the Elephants are excited about the return of their top gun Peng “Chia Chia” Cheng-min, who will return to action after being sidelined for nearly two months nursing a hand injury. Chia Chia will most likely play as a pinch hitter this week, before a full return to the lineup.
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