The Wei Chuan Dragons’ outstanding pitching and defense ensured them a 4-1 victory in Taoyuan last night, evening up the seven-game Taiwan Series 2-2.
They limited the Rakuten Monkeys to five hits.
The most credit goes to Wei Chuan starter Bryan Woodall, a nine-year American veteran of the CPBL, who pitched a gem. He restricted the Monkeys through seven frames, giving away one run on four hits and walking three.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The visiting Dragons went ahead early when shortstop Chang Cheng-yu slapped a bouncer up the middle that glanced off Rakuten pitcher Lin Ke-yi’s foot and sent the ball to second baseman Lin Li, who had trouble fielding it.
Chang’s hit drove in a runner from third base, as the Dragons took a one-run lead in the second inning.
In the fifth inning with men on the corners, Rakuten third baseman Liang Chia-jung hit a slow infield roller, bringing one home.
The game was tied at 1-1 until the sixth inning, when Dragons catcher Chiang Shao-hung hit an RBI-single to drive in the go-ahead run. Jan Cheng-lin got another, sending the Dragons ahead 3-1.
In ninth, Dragons center fielder Kuo Tien-hsin added another run on an RBI-single.
Reliever Chen Kuan-wei closed the door on the Monkeys, getting final three outs to ensure victory.
In Game 3 on Tuesday, the Monkeys won 7-4.
Rakuten had key hits from catcher Yen Hung-chun and Lin Li, and a sacrifice bunt by veteran Chen Chun-Hsiu to pile on three late runs.
The teams have a rest day today ahead of Game 5 tomorrow, which starts at 6:30pm at the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium.
Games 6 and 7, if required, are also scheduled for Tianmu.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946