Late-game miscues cost the Chinatrust Whales a pair of one-run losses against the La New Bears in Kaohsiung on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Whales reliever Nee Fu-deh's throw to first on a sacrifice-bunt attempt by the Bears to advance the runner from second to third was mishandled by second baseman Wang Yi-min, allowing the runner to reach home in a 3-2 victory on Wednesday evening.
It was the second straight game that Nee had lost in as many days as a result of a fatal ninth-inning error by the Whales defense, despite a solid showing off the mound in both of his relief appearances. The first, on Tuesday night, was the result of a wild throw by third baseman Chen Jia-hong that scored the game-winner for the Bears.
PHOTO: HUANG CHIH-YUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
"That's just the way the game is -- you can't win them all," an obviously disappointed Nee said after Wednesday night's contest.
The rookie right-hander's 0-2 record in three relief appearances did him no justice, especially considering his impressive 0.00 earned run average.
The two teams traded a run each in the first inning before the Whales took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on outfielder Gee Jung-lin's two-out single off Bears starter Tsai Ying-fong to score the runner from third.
Lu Jung-hsiung's rifling double off Whales reliever Luo Jien-ming, also with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, finally tied the game at 2-2 to set the stage for the ninth-inning drama.
Huang Jung-chung was credited with the win for inducing a double play on his only pitch in the game. It was also the second straight game that the Bears reliever had won in as many days with the first coming on Tuesday night when he tossed a perfect ninth for his first win of the year.
Whales 3, Bears 4
Tuesday's match in Kaohsiung saw the Whales rally from behind to force a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth. However, they threw the game away in the bottom of the same inning to lose by one.
After the Whales surrendered an opening-inning run on an outfielder's throwing error that scored the runner all the way from first on slugger Chen Chin-fong's double, they would promptly return the favor by plating two runs of their own in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
The Bears then tied the game up at 2-all in the bottom of the third, before skidding ahead in the sixth on first baseman Pan Chung-wei's RBI single to make it 3-2.
Cobras 7, Elephants 1
Questionable pitching led to a pair of consecutive losses for the supposedly new-and-improved Brother Elephants against the Macoto Cobras this week. As a result, the Elephants are now winless after three games.
Tuesday night's game in Hsinchu saw the serpents nail seven unanswered runs after falling 0-1 behind in the second inning.
Lin "Wild Hog" Hong-yuan accounted for nearly half of the Cobras offensive effort by going 3-for-4 on the night, including two doubles, to knock in three runs in the game.
Also impressive was Dutchman Ivanon Coffie, who also racked up three hits in his Taiwan debut, including a pair of doubles, to account for two of the Cobras' seven runs.
Macoto starter Hsu Chu-jien won his first start of the year, allowing an unearned run on six hits in six innings to beat Brother reliever Andre Simpson of the US.
Cobras 6, Elephants 5
Five third-inning runs by the Cobras erased a three-run deficit as they came from behind to top the Elephants in a 6-5 final score in Hsinchuang on Wednesday evening.
Three errors by the Elephants defense, all in the game-deciding third, led to three unearned runs for the Cobras.
Sophomore righty Chen Jia-hong pocketed his first win of the year with three-and-two-third innings of one-run relief (unearned) on three scattered singles.
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