Behind seven effective innings of two-run ball by Wang Ching-ming, the Uni-President Lions plated three early runs and held on to defeat the Chinatrust Brothers 3-2 at the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City last night.
The win not only marked Wang’s first in nearly five weeks, but it also helped the Cats clinch the weekend series 2-1 as they ascended to second in the standings in a tie with the EDA Rhinos, 5.5 games behind the Lamigo Monkeys.
Chen Yung-chi’s two-out single with the bases loaded scored two in the top of the third inning to give the visitors an early lead, an advantage they immediately added to in the fourth when Kao Chih-kang singled off Brothers starter Lin Ying-chieh and scored on a double by Luo Kuo-lung.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The run in the fourth proved invaluable as the Lions’ offense failed to score again, needing Wang to pitch through the seventh inning with a slim one-run advantage, before setup man Kao Chien-san and closer Warner Madrigal combined for a perfect eighth and ninth to preserve the victory.
Lin looked solid in his second start after being promoted to the rotation. He allowed three runs on seven hits over six frames, while fanning four and walking a pair, but fell victim to an anemic offense.
MONKEYS 9, RHINOS 1
The Lamigo Monkeys successfully swept their weekend series on the road by routing the EDA Rhinos 9-1 at the Cheng Ching Lake Baseball Stadium in Kaohsiung last night.
Mitch Atkins nipped a two-game losing skid by holding the Rhinos to a lone run on seven hits in as many innings to pick up his third win.
Doing the damage at the plate for the league leaders was catcher Huang Hao-ran, who drove in three runs in a three-for-five effort to pace the Primates on a night they were forced to leave Lin Chih-sheng and Chen Chun-hsiu off the lineup due to minor injuries.
The fine offensive display by the Monkeys spoiled the return of Rhinos lefty Andy Sisco, who rejoined after spending a year with KT Wiz of South Korea’s Korean Baseball Organization. In his first start he lasted only four-plus innings, with seven allowed runs (four earned) on eight hits.
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