Fang Hsuan-tsung’s walk-off double with a man on second scored the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth as the EDA Rhinos edged the Uni-President Lions 3-2 at the Cheng Ching Lake Baseball Stadium in greater Kaohsiung last night to sweep the weekend series.
The second-year infielder out of National Taiwan University of Sport made the most of his return to the Rhinos starting lineup by hitting a pitch from Lions reliever Warner Madrigal just inside the leftfield line to score Lin Wei-en from second for his first walk-off hit of the season.
“I waited just long enough for the pitch to slide back toward the plate before giving it a good swing and I am glad it was ruled a fair ball,” Fang said after the game.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
The Rhinos were lucky, as the replay showed that the ball could have been ruled foul.
The once-struggling Rhinos have won four straight after dropping four in a row to give up the lead in the standings to the first-placed Lamigo Monkeys last week. Yesterday’s late-game surge was just one of several close plays that have gone their way.
Starter Mike Loree and setup man Lin Cheng-fong combined for a five-hitter to take a 2-0 shutout into the ninth before Lin Yi-hao served up a pair of RBI doubles in a two-run ninth for the Cats, which cost Loree his seventh win of the season.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
However, Lin Yi-hao turned the blown save into his second win of the year thanks to Fang’s clutch swing for EDA.
Charged with his second loss of the season was Madrigal, who survived a leadoff single to EDA’s Cheng Hung-da by picking up two quick outs before giving up the game-winner to Fang.
MONKEYS 11, BROTHERS 3
The league-leading Lamigo Monkeys roughed up the Chinatrust Brothers 11-3 at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium last night to clinch the weekend series 2-1.
Chris Seddon bounced back from a pair of sub-par starts by tossing one-run ball through the seventh before giving up two runs in the eighth.
He was awarded with the win to improve to a 3-1 mark nonetheless as the Monkey hitters provided plenty of run support.
Taking charge at the plate for the visitors was Lin Chih-sheng, who drove in two on a three-for-five effort that was highlighted by his team-best 12th blast of the season. He was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
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