COURTESY TML
PHOTO: HAKU HUANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Although the result of last night's contest between the home side, Taipei Gida, and visitors Kaohsiung Fala in Hsinchuan did not have any bearing on the post-season scenario whatsoever, the two teams treated the game with the utmost care because the very same two teams will meet again in the first round of the play-offs that begin next Tuesday night in Kaohsiung.
Taipei Gida managed to squeeze by Kaohsiung with a 2-1 win.
Trailing the Fala's Frank Rodriguez by two in the league strikeout total, Gida starter Liang Rue-hao (梁如豪) took to the mound in the hope of breaking Rodriguez' 140, and so he did.
Liang registered three "K's" in the three-and-two-thirds innings he pitched for the league's strike-out title before being pulled by manager Ishii to save him for the post-season.
The move gave reliever Su Lee-wei (蘇立偉) a chance to earn his first victory of the season and he also made the most of the opportunity that he had been given, by holding the Fala to one run on three hits over four-plus innings of relief work. The stellar performance also won Su the title of the game's most valuable player.
The night was not as kind to Fala reliever Carlos Chavez, as he was tagged for both the Gida's runs and the loss.
The five errors committed by the Fala defense finally caught up with them, because both of the Gida runs were direct results of two costly errors by first baseman Pan Chung-wei (潘忠韋) and catcher Hung Yi-chung (洪一中).
Neither offense was able to get on track as the pitchers from both teams held the opposing batters down to four hits for each team.
Tonight's game between the two teams is expected to be an exciting one, as both sides wish to gain a psychological advantage as they head into the post-season.
COURTESY CPBL
With John Burgos' seven innings of fine work on the mound, the Elephants were completely shut off by the Lions last night in Tainan, keeping their magic number for a clinch at one. As Burgos won his 11th decision of the season, Hurst on the other hand suffered his eighth loss of the year after completing nine innings of pitching against the Lions.
The Lions scored four runs off Hurst at the bottom of the second inning as Hurst allowed three hits and got one walk. Shortstop Chen Rwei-chen (
Lions starter Burgos pitched seven innings in last night's match against the Elephants, getting his tenth win of the season, which also stopped his recent five-game losing streak.
In his seven innings of work Burgos also issued five walks that at one stage allowed the Elephants to load the bases in the fifth.
However, the Elephants batters were confounded by Burgos' variety of pitches last night and they just could not score any run against him.
On the top of the eighth, the Elephants again loaded the bases, but Elephants got the third out when Chen Rwei-chang (
The Elephants lost the game and the opportunity to clinch last night in Tainan. The two teams will meet again tonight, while the Whales will play the Bulls simultaneously in Taichung. A loss by the Whales or a win by the Elephants will give the Elephants the clinch.
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans. The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game. “We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at