Homers lit up the Tainan sky in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) season opener on Sunday in which the President Lions outslugged the La New Bears 14-9.
The highly anticipated rematch between last season's Taiwan Series finalists saw Chen Lien-hong and Kao Guo-ching combining for three long balls on the night, including a grand slam apiece, to humble the Bears.
Chen recorded seven RBIs and Kao five in the highest-scoring season opener in league history, topping the previous mark of 17 set by the Macoto Cobras (now the dmedia T-Rex) and the Sinon Bulls in 2006.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
In a game that featured five lead changes it was the Bears that drew first blood in the top of the first, Lin Chih-sheng's liner up the middle off Lions starter Gregory Wiltshire of Australia giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Lions answered with Chen's first homer of the game, a grand slam off Bears starter Mike Johnson of Canada, to make it 4-1.
Both teams scored in the second before the Bears scored five straight through Gary Burnham's RBI single to center and a pair of two-run singles by Chen Fong-min and Lin.
With the Bears leading 7-5 in the bottom of the fourth, Kao smoked an offering from Johnson with the bases loaded to record four runs and secure a 9-7 lead.
After three scoreless innings, the Bears went on the offensive again with a pair of runs off Lions reliever Tsai Shih-chin to tie the game up at 9-all in the top of the eighth.
But the Lions made sure that the 6,000-plus crowd would not go home disappointed by nailing five unanswered runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by Chen's three-run blast, to seal the victory.
Lefty reliever Yen Chuen-hao was credited with the win for tossing a hitless eighth, while his counterpart Lee Fong-hua suffered the loss for giving up the go-ahead run to the Lions in the eighth.
Kao was named MVP for knocking in the winning run on top of belting a grand slam on a five-RBI outing, although Chen arguably had a better game.
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Jiang Xinyu of China yesterday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, while Naomi Osaka retired from the women’s singles final with an abdominal injury. Second seeds Wu and Jiang defeated Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US 6-3, 6-4 on ASB Tennis Centre’s Stadium Court in 1 hour, 5 minutes. The WTA 250 victory was 25-year-old Wu’s second WTA Tour title, after winning the 2023 Hua Hin Championships in Thailand with Taiwanese partner Chan Hao-ching. Later that year, Wu and Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou won the mixed doubles gold at the World
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barca secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca a 2-0 win over
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson said an unnamed Everton player “had a pop” at him after he denied Tyler Young the opportunity to come on as a substitute against his father Ashley in Thursday’s English FA Cup third round match. While former England international Ashley came off the bench in the second half for Everton, Tyler was an unused sub in the game at Goodison Park. Everton won 2-0 against the third-division team. “I’ve got to do what’s best for my team and we’re not a charity case,” Ferguson said. “As much as I wanted Tyler to go on with his dad, one
RSS