Liao “the Golden Submarine” Yu-cheng pitched nine innings of two-run ball and Peng “Chia Chia” Cheng-min drove in three runs on a 4-for-5 night as the Brother Elephants defeated the Sinon Bulls 7-2 at the Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium in Tianmu on Sunday, ending a three-game losing skid.
It was the first time in 10 starts that Liao managed to go the distance for his club, not only giving his bullpen a much needed rest, but also upping his season mark to a team-best 5-1 and a 3.22 ERA.
As for Chia Chia, the heart and soul of the Elephants lineup, it was his fifth straight multi-hit outing — and 17th of the season — bringing his average to an outstanding .396, second only to Bulls rookie sensation Lin Yi-chuen’s league-leading .406.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The Brother offense, led by Chia Chia’s second-inning solo homer and a two-run double in the third, spotted Liao an early 4-0 lead. That was more than ample as he cruised through the first four frames unharmed before surrendering the first run to the Bulls in the fifth.
After Sinon struck for their second run of the game in the seventh on Lin Yi-chuen’s third base hit of the day to make it 5-2, the Elephants offense answered with a two-run eighth to put the game away.
BEARS 13, LIONS 3
Overcoming an early 0-2 deficit, the La New Bears erupted for nine runs in a big fourth to top the Uni-President Lions 13-3 at the Kaohsiung County Baseball Stadium on Sunday for a clean sweep of the three-game series.
Slugger Chen Chin-fong led the way with a bases-clearing three-run double to jumpstart the Bears offense in a decisive fourth that saw the hosts send 13 men to the plate en route to the big win.
The Lions dug their own grave, batting a meager 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 in a game in which they outhit the Bears 13 to 10.
Starter Mike Johnson picked up his first win of the season, pitching into and out of trouble on several occasions to allow just three runs on a dozen hits over seven innings of work. His counterpart, Mickey Callaway, breezed through the first three innings before running into a world of trouble in the fourth.
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