In an era when offensive power dominates the news headlines and home-run hitters are media darlings it is easy to forget sound pitching is what gets teams in the win column at the end of the day.
While the Sinon Bulls have been in terrific form with an 8-2 streak that puts them on top of the league standings, the President Lions have quietly snuck up and established themselves as the number two team in the league.
The Lions' success has been backed by solid pitching performances from starters Joe Davenport, Pan Wei-luen (潘威倫) and Tseng Yi-cheng (曾翊誠), in addition to a bullpen headed by relievers Chen Yang-kai (陳揚 凱), Sheng Po-chang (沈柏蒼) and Tsao Jung-yang (曹竣揚) that could easily make the starting rotation on any other teams.
All three starters have ERA's that are below one and as a result opposing hitters are batting around .200 against the Lions.
Even with the loss of Tseng for the season to a serious leg injury, at least three of the relievers out of the bullpen can handle starting duties for manager Hsieh Chang-hern (謝長亨).
Kao Ying-cheh (高英傑), a professor at the Taipei Physical Education College and pitching coach for Taiwan's 1992 Olympic silver medal-winning team, said the Lions have got it all.
"The Lions pitching staff is as complete and as consistent as they come. That, coupled with the team's all-round pace should make them a formidable opponent in any manager's mind," he said.
These young guns (Davenport at age 26, Pan 21, Tseng 24, Chen 24, Sheng 25, Tsao 26) may not have all the experience that is essential down the stretch for a championship-caliber team, but their determination and desire to win could carry them through and give the Lions fans something to cheer about come October.
Round-up
Last weekend, the First Securities Agan avenged two one-run losses to Makoto Gida earlier last week by beating them 9-2 and 5-4 in a double-header last Saturday.
In Game 1, regular Agan closer Lee Fong-hua (李風華) came out of the bullpen for his first starting assignment of the season and responded by holding a red hot Gida attack to two runs over six innings of play.
Reliever Randi Mallard of the US then came in and finished off the Gida with three scoreless innings to record his first save of the season.
Game 2 featured Agan pitcher Liang Rue-hao (梁如豪), who pitched his team to a thrilling 5-4 victory. Normally a starter in his own right, Liang earned his third win of the season from a relieving role and told reporters afterwards, "A win is a win, I'll take it any way I can!"
Elsewhere, the Bulls beat the Whales in two shutout victories by a score of 2-0 and 4-0, with Bulls' starter Osvaldo Martinez and reliever Ramon Morel teaming up in the second game in Tienmu last Sunday. The two natives from the Dominican Republic have quietly become skipper Chen Wei-cheng's (陳威誠) winning combination.
The three-game series between the Lions and the Brother Elephants last week put the ailing Elephants further out of reach.
Despite an 8-4 win in Tienmu last Saturday to end the Elephants' seven-game winless skid, the Lions won the series by outscoring the defending champs by a combined score of 13-1 in the other two games.
Earlier this week, the Bulls continued their domination on the field as they took games one and two against the Elephants 9-4 and 3-0.
Led by third baseman Chang Tai-shan's (
Chang, who leads the league with five homers only 10 games into the season, is five home runs short of 100 career-runs and is hoping his form does not dip.
"I hope the ease with which I hit the five homers so far will not jinx my hitting performance later on this season."
Upcoming Games
Stadia in southern Taiwan will be packed this weekend as the Lions play host to the Gida in Tainan for a three-game series (tonight and Sunday); and the Agan takes on the Whales in Kaohsiung (tomorrow and Sunday) for three contests of their own.
The Bulls-Elephants matchup will move to Taipei with a game scheduled tonight in Hsinchuang and a game in Tienmu tomorrow.
The two series down south are excellent opportunities for the Lions and the Whales to gain some ground, as they take on weaker opponents.
The Elephants, with last season's 16-game winner Jonathan Hurst back in town, should put on a good showing against the streaking Bulls for President Chen Shui-bian (
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