Taiwanese rookie Lin Tzu-wei on Monday made history by getting a hit in his first at-bat in the US major leagues and played good defense to help the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Only called up three days ago from the Red Sox’s Double-A affiliate the Portland Sea Dogs, the 23-year-old infielder got his first chance in the second inning.
The left-hitting Lin slapped a line drive into centerfield against Minnesota starting pitcher Jose Berrios and made it to first to the cheers of the Boston crowd at Fenway Park.
Photo: AP
“I still feel a little bit nervous, but after getting the first out, I knew there would be more coming the rest of the game,” Lin was quoted as saying by Boston media.
“I don’t want to think too much,” he said.
“I’ve picked up some confidence,” Lin said. “You don’t want to be overconfident. Just take it pitch by pitch.”
Boston manager John Farrell penciled Lin into the starting line-up as third baseman and ninth on the batting roster.
Farrell was quoted as saying that Lin “handled it extremely well tonight,” adding that he would play more this season, as he brings the advantage of a left-handed batter and has been reliable in defense.
Lin is the 13th Taiwanese to play in the US Major Leagues and became the first among them to get a hit in his first at-bat.
Taiwanese media reports said Lin made a patriotic statement by putting a decal of the Republic of China national flag on the knob of his bat, which is visible when he swings.
The Red Sox rookie ended the day one for three, striking out once, and made several good defensive plays at third.
He got a ground out in the opening frame and initiated a double play against in the seventh inning.
It was Lin’s third game since being called up, playing as a pinch-runner in his first game and as a defensive replacement late in his second.
Taiwanese fans and officials lauded Lin’s achievement.
They said his background was as an Aboriginal player of the Bunun community from a mountain village in Kaohsiung’s Namasiya Township.
In Cleveland, Ohio, Francisco Lindor, Lonnie Chisenhall and Carlos Santana each had three RBIs to help the Indians rally from 9-2 down in the fourth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 15-9.
The Indians scored a run in the fourth, four in the fifth, took the lead with five in the sixth and added three in the seventh.
Additional reporting by AP
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
RSS