AMERICAN LEAGUE
Taiwan’s Chen Wei-yin had a quality start in the Baltimore Orioles’ 4-3 victory at home over the Chicago White Sox on Monday, but ended with a no-decision because his team did not rally for the win until late in the game.
Chen shut out the White Sox for five innings, nursing a 1-0 lead provided by a Lew Ford homer in the bottom of the second, but he got into trouble in the sixth.
Dewayne Wise reached base on a ground ball to lead off the inning after Chen dropped a throw to first for an error, and Kevin Youkilis pounded the left-hander’s next pitch into the left field seats to put Chicago up 2-1.
The Kaohsiung native was pulled after pitching out the inning, ending his chances for his 13th win this season. In his six innings, the 12-7 Chen allowed only four hits and one earned run, and he struck out eight.
The Orioles pulled the game even in the bottom of the sixth with a single and three walks, but the White Sox again pulled ahead in the top of the eighth, when they scored a run on three straight hits off Orioles’ set-up man Pedro Strop.
Nate McLouth responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, securing the win for the Orioles, who now have a 70-57 record and are tied for the top wild-card spot in the American League with the Oakland Athletics.
Meanwhile, while Chen has emerged as the ace on a surprisingly strong team in his rookie major league season, countryman Wang Chien-ming continues to struggle in the minor leagues as he battles to regain a roster spot in the majors.
Wang gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings for the Washington Nationals’ double-A team, the Harrisburg Senators, in an 8-6 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels in Richmond on Monday. Wang has struggled recently with hip troubles.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
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