The Uni-President Lions’ recent slide continued as they succumbed to the Sinon Bulls in a 10-8 decision at the Yilan County Baseball Stadium in Luodong on Friday night for their fifth loss in a row.
The defending champs have suddenly lost their winning edge after claiming the first-half title this season, with a 1-6 record in their seven second-half games.
Inability to win the close games is to blame as two of the six losses by the Lions have been decided by single runs and another two were decided by less than three runs.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
On Friday night, the Lions’ offense spotted Pan Jung-rong a 2-0 lead in the top of the first only to see the third-year starter squander it away giving up three runs in the bottom of the same inning and eight total runs in four-plus innings on 10 hits and three walks.
As hard as the Lions offense tried to keep the team in the game — managing three runs in the sixth and the eighth that reduced the deficit to a lone run — generous pitching made it impossible for the Lions to gain an advantage.
Trailing by two heading into the top of the ninth, the Lions put runners on first and second with no outs in what seemed a golden scoring opportunity.
But the next batter, Kao Chih-kang, popped up to right and Yang Seng hit into a game-ending double play.
Bulls starter Shoda Itsuki improved to 9-4 for the year to tie the La New Bears’ Aaron Rakers for the lead in total wins.
BEARS 15, ELEPHANTS 1
Nine second-inning runs by the La New Bears set the tone early in the game as they erupted for 15 runs on as many hits en route to a rout over the previously red-hot Brother Elephants at the Taipei County Baseball Stadium in Sinjhuang on Friday.
Chen Chin-fong and Lin Chih-sheng both homered, upping their league-leading home run totals to 19 apiece.
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
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
RSS