TAIWAN – Rico Washington and Chen Lien-Hung both homered and the Uni-President Lions beat the Brother Elephants 10-8 in a wild Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) encounter this past Thursday in front of 2,583 Taiwanese baseball fans.

The Elephants marched out to a quick 3-0 advantage in the top of the first before Uni-President answered back with a trio of scores in the bottom of the inning to pull even. The Lions plated four runs in the second, and crosse the plate three times in the third to take a seemingly comfortable 10-4 advantage.

But the visitors, which outhit the Lions 18-10, added four uns over the next three innings to inch closer. However, both bullpens silenced the opposing lineups the rest of the game to seal the victory for the two-time reigning CPBL champion.

Washington, a long-time minor league player who finally reached the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals last season, swatted his third home run of the young season while also collecting a double. Chen connected for his first long ball of the year in a 4-for-5 effort that included five RBIs.

Pan Wei-Lun (2-1) was credited with the win despite giving up seven runs and 13 hits in five innings on the hill.

Yang Tsung-Fan paced the Elephants with four hits and a pair of RBIs, while infielders Peng “Chia Chia” Cheng-min and Wang Sheng-Wei each tallied two hits apiece.

American right-hander Nic Ungs (0-1), who went a combined 6-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 15 games with the Huntsville Stars (AA) and the Nashville Sounds (AAA), suffered the setback after getting shelled for seven runs and five hits in just 1 1/3 innings.

CPBL TRANSACTIONS
The Uni-President Lions have inked pitcher Valerio de los Santos. The 33 year-old was 4-5 with a 5.63 ERA in 23 games last season for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA). The left-hander also made two appearances for the Colorado Rockies (0-1,5.63 ERA).

De los Santos signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets this past winter but did not make the club out of spring training.

Meanwhile the Sinon Bulls have signed 28 year-old right hander Pedro Liriano to replace Kieran Mattison (1-1, 1 save, 3.86 ERA in 6 games), who was released recently.

Photo courtesy of the CPBL website

Tags: CPBL Update, Taiwan