Even slugger Yu Chang’s return could not arrest the slump of the Fubon Guardians, who on Saturday set a new record for the most losses in a month in the CPBL’s 35-year history.
The Guardians on Friday tied the league record with 16 after yielding to the CTBC Brothers 3-1 at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium, having won only four games last month.
On Saturday, they showed there would be no comeback in their weekend series against the Brothers, losing 7-5. They were last night to play the Brothers again.
Photo courtesy of the Fubon Guardians via CNA
After finishing last in the previous two seasons, with 70 and 67 losses respectively, the Guardians are sitting at the bottom of the second-half regular season standings in the six-team league with a 13-22 record, one game behind the TSG Hawks’ 16-21.
The Guardians suffered a blow on Aug. 25 in their game against the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, when Chang felt discomfort in his left hand after hitting a foul ball in the fourth inning. The former MLB player was soon pulled from the game due to a history of injuries to his left hand.
Chang fractured the hamate bone in the same hand in late April last year while playing for the Boston Red Sox. He was sidelined for more than two months and did not return to the majors until mid-July last year before being designated for assignment the following month.
The Aug. 25 incident turned out to be a false alarm, as the franchise declared on the next day that no structural damage was found in Chang’s left hand.
However, the Guardians still found themselves in the record books after managing to score only one run on Friday, from the Brothers’ starting pitcher Shawn Morimando, while Chang reached base once on a walk.
Morimando, who tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left arm in April last year and underwent surgery as a result, had a no-decision in his first outing in 515 days, giving up six hits and walking two in four innings pitched.
The 31-year-old American became emotional when asked to comment on his long-awaited return after the game.
He said he tried to show everyone that he was healthy and ready, expressing his gratitude for the help and support he received during his recovery.
Keiichi Hirano, the Brothers’ manager, said he would rate the left-hander’s performance “500 points” out of 100.
While Hirano was reticent about whether the franchise would keep Morimando, the team on Saturday officially announced he was released on the last day of the international players deadline.
Teams are allowed to have no more than four international players after Saturday, while the Brothers had five as of Friday.
On Saturday, the Brothers took a four-run lead in the second inning, which they extended to five in the third. The Brothers scored two in the third and another three in the fourth to the tie the game, but were unable to get anymore on the board, while the Brothers added two in the eighth.
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