Trouble continued for the Sinon Bulls as they dropped their sixth straight game, losing 11-2 to the Uni-President Lions at the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Greater Taichung yesterday afternoon to remain at a winless 0-6 so far this season.
Lin Yi-chuan’s two-run homer off Lions starter Chen Yi-chen gave the home Bulls a rare 2-0 lead in the bottom of the opening frame, but the lead would last less than an inning as Bulls starter Lai Hong-cheng returned the favor plus interest by serving up three runs on as many hits in the top of the second.
That was all the Bulls could manage as the Lions teed off against the Bulls pitching once again in the sixth by drawing a leadoff walk and a base hit off Lai to chase the rookie lefty, before stringing together five hits for seven runs, highlighted by Chen Yong-chi’s three-run triple, to humiliate the hosts.
Photo: Chan Chao-yang, Taipei Times
Chen Yi-chen was credited with his first win of the season as he shook off a shaky three-hit first by pitching one-hit ball over the next six innings, before his bullpen finished off the game.
Taking the loss was his counterpart, Lai, who allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits in five-plus innings to lose his first start as a professional.
MONKEYS 3, ELEPHANTS 1
Photo: Chan Chao-yang, Taipei Times
The Lamigo Monkeys bounced back from a pair of defeats by topping the Brother Elephants by two runs at the Pingtung County Baseball Stadium yesterday afternoon to avoid being swept by the Elephants.
Back-to-back extra-base hits by Shih Chih-wei and Chan Chih-yao in the top of the second, the former good for two runs and the latter for the Monkeys’ third, were the difference in the game as the Primates took an early 3-0 lead and held on to win it 3-1.
Lenny DiNardo improved to 2-0 for the season with another solid outing, going 8-1/3 innings before being relieved by fellow closer Hsu Ming-jeh in the ninth, who retired the final two Elephant batters he faced with the tying run on first to preserve the victory.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
DAY OF BLOWOUTS: Elsewhere, the Lakers clinched the third seed in the Western Conference with a 140-109 pounding of the under-strength Houston Rockets The Denver Nuggets on Friday improved their playoff position, with a triple double from Nikola Jokic helping them to a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Serbian put up 26 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds. The triple-double performance, his 34th this season, ensured that he will finish the regular season as just the third NBA player to average a triple double across an entire season. The win meant the Nuggets improved to 49-32 on the season and gave them a real chance of grabbing fourth place and home-court advantage in the playoffs. Aaron Gordon top scored with 33 points for Denver,