The CTBC Brothers yesterday took the opener of the Taiwan Series with a 5-3 victory over the Rakuten Monkeys at the Taoyuan International Stadium, with Dominican lefty Jose de Paula awarded the win after pitching seven innings.
The Monkeys sluggers hit three solo homers to account for their scoring, but the Brothers scored three runs in the top of the first inning and did not relinquish the lead, adding two more runs in the ninth.
The win gives the Brothers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Taiwan Series, the CPBL championship decider. Game 2 is to start at 5pm today, also in Taoyuan.
Photo: CNA
Monkeys catcher Lin Hong-yu blasted two solo homers in the fourth and ninth frames, while first baseman Chen Chun-hsiu smashed a dinger in the seventh to ignite the near-capacity crowd of more than 14,000.
However, it was not enough after the Brothers’ early offense against American starting pitcher Dylan Covey.
Designated hitter Chen Tzu-hao (one) and third baseman Huang Wei-sheng (two) brought three men home between them.
De Paula allowed four hits in seven innings, giving up two solo homers to make it 3-2.
He issued one walk and had two strikeouts.
De Paula gave way to set-up man Tsai Chi-tse, the Brothers’ most reliable closer this season.
The scoreline remained 3-2 until the ninth frame, when Brothers outfielder Chen Wei-chieh delivered a clutch hit against Monkeys reliever Chen Yu-hsun with two men on base to bolster their score by two runs.
In the bottom of the ninth, Lin slammed his second homer of the night against closer Lu Yen-ching, but the home team could not get another run.
Lu struck out pinch hitter Kuo Yen-wen to end the game.
The Brothers had 10 hits to five for the Monkeys, while the home side committed two fielding errors.
Covey was charged with the loss, giving up six hits for three runs, although only one was earned.
He had six strikeouts and four walks in 5-1/3 innings.
Games 3 and 4 are to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, the Brothers’ home ground, with both to start at 6:30pm.
If needed, games 5, 6 and 7 would be back in Taoyuan on Friday at 6:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 5pm.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their