Fubon Guardians slugger Kao Kuo-lin on Thursday gave his team a stunning comeback victory with only the second pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam in the 33 years of the CPBL’s existence.
Kao launched a cutter by Uni-President Lions reliever Chen Yun-wen into the left-field seats with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Guardians a dramatic 11-10 win at home at Sinjhuang Stadium in New Taipei City.
That flair for the dramatic seems to run in the family as the first pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam in league history was recorded by his brother, Kao Kuo-hui, on Aug. 12, 2020, giving the Guardians a 10-6 win over the Rakuten Monkeys.
Photo courtesy of the Fubon Guardians via CNA
Fans jumped out of their seats as Kao Kuo-lin trotted around the bases and celebrated with his teammates at home plate.
After the game, Kao said he was closely watching the patterns the Lions pitchers were using and decided to lock in on a first-pitch cut fastball.
Neither team’s starting pitchers were effective, with the Lions and Guardians each scoring seven times in the first three innings, but the game settled down after that.
The Lions scored a run in the sixth inning and two in the seventh to take a 10-7 lead, a seemingly comfortable cushion until Kao gave his team an unlikely victory.
However, even with the dramatic win, the Guardians are a long shot to make the CPBL playoffs.
Three teams in the six-team CPBL make the post-season, consisting of the winners of the first half and second half of the season, and the next team with the best full-season record.
If the same team wins both half seasons, the next two teams with the best full-season records make the playoffs.
The Rakuten Monkeys have already clinched a spot after having the best first-half record, while the CTBC Brothers are shoo-ins as either second-half winners or the team with the best full-season record.
The Guardians, who are 6.5 games behind in the second-half standings with a 22-23-1 record and only 13 games left, would need a miracle to reach the post-season, especially after a first half in which they went 16-43-1.
The Wei Chuan Dragons are in the best position to secure the third playoff spot.
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