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.
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
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
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
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS