Chen Yuan-jia’s three-run homer ignited an eight-run sixth for Team Red as they rallied from three down to top Team White 10-6 in this year’s All-Star Game at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on Sunday.
A near-capacity crowd of more than 14,000, the second largest in league’s 19-year history, saw Team Red, consisting of the best from the Chinatrust Whales, Brother Elephants and dmedia T-Rex, jumped to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third on the strength of a two-run blast by Chen “Golden Warrior” Chih-yuan (Elephants), before falling behind 2-5 by the top of the sixth on a two-run shot by Liu Fu-hao (Lions) in the fifth and back-to-back sacrifice-flies by Kao Cheng-hua (Lions) and Huang “Easy” Long-yi in the top of the sixth.
Trailing by three, Team Red would answer in the bottom of the sixth with Chen Yuan-jia’s monstrous three-run swing to tie the game at 5-5, before fellow hitters strung together four hits and drew a pair of walks on top of an error by Team White third baseman Tilson Brito (Lions) to helped Team Red claim a 10-5 lead.
PHOTO: CHAN CHAO-YANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Even though Brito redeemed himself by hitting Team Red’s Shen Yu-jeh (Whales) deep in the following inning on a solo homer to deep-left to make it 10-6, Yeh Yong-jeh (Elephants) retired the final six Team White hitters in order in a perfect eighth and ninth.
Home Run Derby
Brito swung his way to victory in Saturday’s Home Run Derby by driving 27 balls out of the ballpark in the final round to beat defending champion Hsieh “the Ugly” Jia-shien.
Base-running Contest
Team Red won the base-running contest on Saturday for the first time in four years by 0.46 seconds.
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