Chinatrust Whales manager Hsu Sheng-ming became the first man in the league to reach the 500-wins level when his crew beat the Sinon Bulls 9-2 at Hsinchuang last Sunday.
The milestone victory not only put Hsu in a league of his own, it prevented the red-hot Bulls from sweeping the Whales in the three-game series that started with last Thursday's 9-7 win in Taichung.
The hosts Bulls actually struck first in the bottom of the opening frame on Sunday when centerfielder Tseng Hua-wei singled to shallow-left to put his team up 1-0, before the Whales answered with a run each in the fourth and five inning on cleanup man Tseng Han-chou's solo shot to left and first baseman Chen Jien-wei's RBI-chopper to second, respectively, to give the Whales a 2-1 lead.
PHOTO: CPBL
Leftfielder Chang Jien-ming's run-scoring single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh would tie the game at 2-all for the Bulls until the top of the ninth when the Whales broke loose for seven straight runs to seize the win.
Ace closer Dario Veras earned his fifth victory of the season for his two-and-a-third innings of hitless relief, while Jeff Andra drop-ped to 4-2 for the year with the loss for yielding six of the seven Bulls' runs in the ninth.
Elephants 1, Cobras 0
Harold Woodman racked up his second straight complete-game victory in stingy fashion with an impressive 1-0 shutout of the Macoto Cobras at Chiayi last Friday.
The American righty who remains undefeated for the year with a perfect 4-0 record in seven starts, took on the Cobras' Hsu Chu-jien in a classic pitchers' duel that had the Elephants scoring the game's lone run on designated hitter Lee "Rambo Junior" Chih-jeh's sacrifice fly to right with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
A lack of timely hitting by the Cobra lineup stranded 10 runners in the game, the last of whom (representing the tying run) watched Woodman record the final two outs of the game from third base without a chance to score, as the Elephant starter struck out Deng Shih-yang and got pinch hitter Chen Keh-fang to fly out to center to end the game.
Elephants 6, Cobras 5
The 6-5 series finale in Taichung on Saturday featured a seesaw battle that included four lead changes between the two clubs with the Elephants getting the last laugh.
First baseman Tsai Fong-an's game-winning double in the bottom of the tenth broke a 5-all draw that sent the Elephants to their fifth win in six games. It was also Tsai whose groundout to short in the bottom of the eighth brought home the game-tying run to even things up at 5-5.
Lefty starter Lin Ying-jeh of the Cobras went two outs into the ninth in a no-decision before being relieved by Rene Miniel, who took the loss for yielding Tsai's game-winner in extra innings.
In other league action, the President Lions quietly went 2-0 for the week (Sunday's scheduled Game 3 in Kaohsiung was rained out) with a pair of victories over the La New Bears.
After winning Thursday's series opener at Tainan in a 9-3 decision, the Lions on Saturday sent Dominican veteran Jose Alberro to the mound to face Corey Bailey of the Bears in search of their fourth straight triumph.
Alberro promptly answered the call by tossing six scoreless innings of three-hit ball while fellow Lion hitters provided six quick runs on offense to put this one out of reach early.
Other than tagging Lion reliever Tsao Jung-yang for a couple of runs in the seventh to break up the shutout, the Bear hitters never felt comfortable against a Lion lineup that is considered the best in the league in the 6-2 final.
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