The Top-ranked Uni-President Lions improved to a league-best 8-3 record with a close 5-4 victory over the Brother Elephants at the Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium last night thanks to a four-run first.
The defending champs found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they trailed the men in the golden uniforms 0-2 after the top of the first, with Huang Shih-hao’s bases-loaded single off Tsai Jing-hao driving home a pair of runs for the Elephants before the Lions offense even got to the plate.
However, the Elephants lead lasted less than an inning as the host Big Cats answered with a four-run first of their own, highlighted by a three-run home run by Chang “OEO” Tai-shan off Elephants starter Lin Yu-ching, to take a 4-2 lead in a fast start for both clubs.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
The Big Cats managed to tack on their fifth run of the game in the third with a solo shot by Kuo Tai-chi to make it 5-2 before the Elephants countered with a two-run fourth on the strength of Wang Sheng-wei’s two-run double to make it a one-run game.
The slim margin proved to be the difference in the game as neither team scored again against the respective bullpen despite several close attempts.
The Elephants made things very interesting in the top of the ninth as they loaded up the bags against Lions closer Lin Yueh-ping with one out.
However, the veteran right-hander was able to save his best for last as he calmly struck out the Elephants’ Chang Chih-hao on a full-count before fielding a bunt perfectly on the ensuing play for the game-ending out.
Reliever Liao Wen-yang was credited with his first win of the year for tossing a perfect fifth and sixth, while the loss was charged against Elephants starter Lin even though only one of the five runs allowed by the rookie was earned.
MONKEYS 5, BULLS 4
The Lamigo Monkeys edged past the Sinon Bulls by the same 5-4 score at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium last night to keep pace with the Lions.
A shaky first by Bulls starter Lin Chi-wei in which the righty served up three runs on a walk, two singles, a throwing error and a wild pitch, spotted the Monkeys’ Ken Ray a generous 3-0 lead after one inning of play.
However, Ray would return the favor by allowing the Bulls to tie the game at 3-3 through the fourth before the offense knocked in the Monkeys’ fourth and fifth runs in the fifth and the seventh to put the Primates ahead for good.
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS