Lin Yi-chuan’s RBI groundout with runners in scoring position capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the fifth as the EDA Rhinos turned a 1-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead and held on to beat the Uni-President Lions by the same score at the at the Kaohsiung Chengching Lake Baseball Stadium last night to take the weekend series at home.
It was the Rhinos’ fourth victory in five games, improving their league-best mark to 4-1 as they start the season well with superior pitching and clutch hitting.
Mike Loree tossed five innings of two-run ball to pick up his second win of the season, despite giving up 10 hits, thanks to a Rhinos bullpen that had four shutout innings of one-hit ball to deny the Lions any chance of a comeback.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
“Our bullpen really did an excellent job holding [the Lions hitters] off, which was difference,” EDA skipper Von Joshua was quoted in Chinese-language reports after the game.
His troops have lived on the edge in the first two weeks of play, winning three of their four games by a single run.
Leading the way for the Rhinos bullpen were Yang Chien-fu and Lin Yi-hao, who combined for three scoreless innings to set up closer Lo Chia-jen’s perfect ninth.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
Offensively for the Rhinos, Cheng Da-hung and Lo Kuo-hui led the heart of the order, who batted a combined 6-for-11 to drive in all three of their runs.
As for the Lions, failure to come up with the timely hits cost them as they outhit the hosts 11-8 in a game that they could have easily won.
Tagged with the loss was starter Liao Wen-yang, who gave up three runs on six hits over seven innings.
MONKEYS 6, BROTHERS 10
The Chinatrust Brothers roughed up the Lamigo Monkeys pitching in a 10-6 affair at the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium last night to share the weekend series at one win apiece.
Homers by Jaime Pedroza and Chang Chih-hao highlighted a four-run third that turned the tide and a one-run sixth that made it 9-3 for the men in the golden uniforms, who actually trailed by three after starter Cheng Kai-wen served up three in the opening frame.
Cheng regrouped in a hurry to pick up win No. 2 for the season and beat his counterpart Lin Po-yo, who lasted only three innings with seven allowed runs on nine hits.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
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
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