Yang Guan-wei’s two-run blast off Lin Yueh-ping in the bottom of the eighth turned a 2-3 deficit into a 4-3 lead as the EDA Rhinos rallied from one down late in the game to edge past the Uni-President Lions by the same margin at the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City last night and even the weekend series at one win apiece.
It was the eighth time that the second-year sensation has gone deep in the season, giving his club a much-needed offensive boost after they had dropped the series opener 12-6 on Friday night to end a four-game win streak.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be able to help our team win,” Yang said after the game, proving his appearance in last month’s annual Home Run Derby was no fluke.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
After the Rhinos took the late-game lead, it was “Luo Chia-ren Time” as skipper Feng Chiao-hsu promptly sent his ace closer to start the ninth, who fittingly struck out the side to pick up his fifth save in seven chances. The former Major Leaguer overwhelmed the opposing hitters with fastballs clocked in the high-150kph to make his case as the premier closer in the league a strong one.
Liu Fu-hao’s two-run double off Rhinos starter Lin Chen-hua in the top of the second gave the Cats a quick 3-0 lead in a seemingly promising start.
However, the early success proved to be the only runs that the Lions would score the entire game, as Lin calmly pitched the next four frames without further damage to give his offense the necessary time to get back in the game. Lin Yi-chuan homered off Lions starter Bill Murphy in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-2 to set the stage for Yang’s game-clincher in the eighth.
Earning his first win of the season with a scoreless eighth was setup man Rommie Lewis, while the loss was charged against his counterpart Lin Yueh-ping for giving up Yang’s homer.
Brothers 4 Monkeys 10
Lan Ying-luen’s RBI double with two outs capped a three-run sixth that blew a 5-4 lead wide open as the Lamigo Monkeys roughed up the Chinatrust Brothers 10-4 at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium last night to take the weekend set at home.
Two quick runs by the Brothers off Monkeys starter Wang Yi-cheng spotted Chinatrust starter Lin Yu-ching a 2-0 lead before the righty even took the mound.
However, the advantage lasted less than an inning as the Primates answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game up and took a 5-2 lead through the fifth before allowing a pair in the sixth that made it 5-4.
That was as close as they got as the Monkeys erupted for five unanswered runs en route to a comfortable win.
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