Chang Chih-hao’s (Brother Elephants) RBI single off Wang Jing-ming (Uni-President Lions) jump-started what turned out to be a three-run fifth as Team Red overcame an early deficit to defeat Team White 6-4 in this year’s All-Star Game last night.
The second-year outfielder out of National Taiwan College of Physical Education made the most of his first career start in the All-Star Game by going a perfect three-for-three with an RBI to take the MVP honor.
“I’d like to thank all the fans for voting me onto the starting lineup and I hope my performance did not let them down,” Chang said after the game.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
More than 11,000 screaming fans packed the Greater Kaohsiung Baseball Stadium early yesterday afternoon to create the festive atmosphere that preceded the annual mid-summer classic.
All of them were treated to a great game on a hot summer evening as Team Red overcame a 2-1 deficit with a three-run fifth en route to a 6-4 victory.
Team White wasted little time getting to Team Red starter Yeh Ding-ren (Elephants), grabbing a pair of runs off the right-hander on the strength of Kao Guo-ching’s (Lions) two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
The lead was halved by Team Red in the top of the third when Lin Chih-sheng’s (Lamigo Monkeys) sacrifice fly scored Chang Cheng-wei (Elephants) from third.
After the three-run fifth that put Team Red ahead 4-2, Team White scored their third run of the contest in the sixth to fall to within a run, but that was as close as they got as Team Red answered with a run in the seventh, before tacking on an insurance run in the ninth to seal the victory.
Team Red lefty Cheng Chih-hong (Elephants) was credited with the win for pitching a perfect fourth, while the loss went to Team White’s Wang, who gave up four hits in the game-turning fifth in a shaky outing.
Base-running Contest
Team Red took advantage of a dropped exchange of baton by Team White in the annual base-running contest earlier yesterday to win the bragging rights among the speedsters in the league.
What should have been an easy win for Team White turned into a tough loss as Liu Fu-hao (Lions) mishandled the “handoff” from Cheng Da-hong (Sinon Bulls) on the fifth leg of the eight-man relay, adding more than two seconds to Team White’s total.
Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen yesterday exited at the BWF World Tour Finals in China, losing in the semi-finals to China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. Shi, who was named the BWF Men’s Singles Player of the Year, had a 9-4 record against Chou going into the match. He extended that record to 9-5 with a 21-14, 21-18 victory. Chou advanced to the men’s singles semi-finals on Friday by upsetting top-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a must-win match at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. The 16-21, 21-18, 21-15 victory saw Chou secure his second semi-finals appearance at the tournament, despite his relatively older
‘REMARKABLE’: Gaelic football is a traditional Irish sport that blends the skills of soccer and rugby, and hurling is an ancient sport played with a wooden stick and ‘sliotar’ The Taiwan Celts Gaelic Football Club marked a milestone achievement at the Asian Gaelic Games in Bangkok on Nov. 23 and 24, with two sides advancing to the knockout stages and competing at hurling for the first time. The event brought together 68 teams from 16 clubs across Asia, with more than 800 players in men’s and women’s tournaments. Gaelic football is a traditional Irish team sport that blends the skills of soccer, rugby union and basketball. Hurling is an ancient Irish sport played with a wooden stick, called a hurley, and a small ball, or sliotar. The Taiwan Celts’ women’s team reached
India’s chess star Gukesh Dommaraju returned to a hero’s welcome in his home city yesterday after becoming the youngest world champion aged only 18. Hundreds of fans crowded the arrivals area of Chennai International Airport, cheering alongside banks of television cameras as Gukesh made his way out of the airport after victory in taking the World Chess Championship title. “It means a lot to bring back the trophy to India,” Gukesh told reporters, with garlands of flowers draped around his neck, brandishing the glittering trophy in his hand. “I can see the support and what it means to India, I
Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest chess world champion on Thursday after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China in the final match of their series in Singapore. Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 points against 6.5 of his Chinese rival in the contest, surpassing the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov, who won the title at the age of 22. The Indian teen prodigy has long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12. He had entered the match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier