The Uni-President Lions completed an impressive three-game sweep of the Chinatrust Brothers in northern Taiwan by topping the hosts 4-1 at the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium last night.
Wang Ching-ming was rock solid in his sixth start of the season, tossing seven strong innings of one-run ball on six hits to lift the Cats past their foes.
The right-hander took a 3-0 shutout one out into the sixth, before serving up a solo blast to Chen Tzu-hao for the Brothers’ lone run of the game.
Photo: Chang Chung-i, Taipei Times
Equally impressive was setup man Kuo Hung-chih, who worked a quick eighth by retiring all three of the hitters he faced on eight pitches for his third hold of the year.
The former major league player has not given up a run in five appearances this season to maintain a perfect ERA of zero.
Trailing by three, Chinatrust made things interesting against Lions closer Warner Madrigal by leading off the bottom of the ninth with an infield single by Huang Shih-hao and they had the tying run at the plate with Chen Chia-chui drawing a walk two batters later, before Madrigal induced back-to-back ground outs to strand both runners and keep the victory intact.
Offensively for the Lions, all but one of the starting lineup had at least a hit on a night they connected for a run in each of the first three innings to provide Wang with enough firepower for his third win this season.
RHINOS 6, MONKEYS 2
The league-leading EDA Rhinos avoided a clean sweep by the Lamigo Monkeys by winning the weekend finale 6-2 at Cheng Ching Lake Baseball Stadium in Kaohsiung last night.
Lin “the Divine Punch” Yi-chuan’s three-run homer capped a four-run third that broke the game wide open against the Primates, winners of seven of their past eight heading into the game.
The four-run lead provided by the offense proved ample for starter Tsai Ming-jin, who four-hit a potent Monkeys lineup over six shutout frames, before being relieved.
Even though he lost his shutout bid with the Monkeys plating two off Lin Yi-hao in the eighth, he was well on his way to his second win of the season.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely