A two-run blast by Lin Wei-chu off starter Liao Wen-yang in a five-run fifth highlighted the Chinatrust Brothers win over the Uni-President Lions in an 8-0 shutout at the Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium last night to even their road series at one win apiece.
It was the Chinatrust captain’s first homer of the season, bringing his long-ball ability back to life after a disappointing season last year that was marred by injuries, restricting him to only 42 games. Lin is now tied for the league’s lead for most RBIs this season with 11 in as many games.
The Brothers had little trouble getting to Liao, with a run off the Lions starter in the top of the second when Peng “Chia Chia” Cheng-min led off the inning with a clean double and scored on the ensuing play, when Jim Negrych bounced a single through the middle to give them a quick 1-0 lead.
Even though Liao stopped the bleeding by getting three straight outs after loading up the bags, the damage was already done as the Brothers batters went back to work in the next inning. Chia Chia delivered a two-run double off Liao to put the Brothers ahead 3-0 after three innings.
After the five-run fifth made it 8-0, the game quickly turned into a defensive struggle, with the Lions bullpen holding their ground and Brothers starter Cheng Kai-wen pitching shutout ball on a six-hit gem through the seventh before being relieved.
Cheng had his third win of the season on seven solid innings, while the loss was charged against Liao, who lasted four batters into the fifth, allowing seven runs on nine hits with no strikeouts.
MONKEYS 7, RHINOS 12
Homers lit up the Taoyuan sky with the top-ranked EDA Rhinos and the Lamigo Monkeys combining for four blasts on a 19-run marathon that ended in a 12-7 road victory for the Rhinos.
Chung “Yoyo Man” Cheng-yo’s two-run shot off Rhinos starter Evan MacLane sparked a three-run second that put the Primates ahead 4-1 after two innings of play.
The home team added to their lead by two with one run in each of the third and fourth to make it 6-1 before the visitors erupted for a nine-run sixth.
The Rhinos sent a dozen to the plate against two different Lamigo hurlers in a five-hit inning, while the self-destructing Primates tacked on four walks and a balk by starter Ramon Garcia to concede the game long before the final out.
Trailing 10-6, the Monkeys managed to plate one more run in the seventh, but it was too little, too late as the visitors went on to win by a sizable margin, clinching the weekend series.
Picking up the win was Rhinos reliever Lin Cheng-fong, while Chen Yu-hsun took the loss.
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