Lin Li's Homerun Leads Monkeys to Victory, Coach Tseng Hao-chu Highlights Liu Tzu-chieh's Bunt as Key

(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh Ching-wen, New Taipei City, July 7) The CTBC Brothers faced the Fubon Guardians today. Monkeys' Lin Li hit his first homerun of the season, with 2 hits and 4 RBIs, leading the team to a 5-3 victory. Head coach Tseng Hao-chu specifically pointed out Liu Tzu-chieh's bunt in the 8th inning as crucial, stating that its successful execution allowed for smoother offensive sequencing.

The Guardians faced the Monkeys at their home stadium, Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium, today. Neither team scored in the first four innings. In the bottom of the 5th, the Guardians scored their first run with an infield hit by Lin Tse-pin, a push by Toung Tze-en's hit, and a ground ball by Shen Hao-wei.

The Guardians mounted another offense in the bottom of the 6th. Liu Chun-hao received a walk, Chang Yu-cheng advanced with a hit, and Fan Kuo-chen reached base on an infield grounder with an RBI and advanced to second on an error. Wang Yi-cheng followed with a hit, scoring the team's third run.

Although the Monkeys had multiple opportunities to score in the first six innings, they failed to do so. In the top of the 7th, Liu Tzu-chieh hit a single and advanced to second on a pitcher's violation. Ma Chieh-sen hit a double to bring in one run, and Lin Li then hit his first homerun of the season, a two-run shot that tied the game.

In the top of the 8th, the Monkeys capitalized on Fubon Guardians pitcher Chang Yi's control issues. Lin Cheng-hua and Lin Tzu-wei received consecutive walks. After Liu Tzu-chieh's bunt advanced the runners, Ma Chieh-sen drew another walk. With the bases loaded, Lin Li hit a ground ball to the shortstop, driving in 2 runs. Liu Tzu-chieh had 2 hits in the game and a crucial bunt that advanced runners.

Lin Li, who returned to the active roster in July, has been in good form. Today, he had 2 hits in 5 at-bats, including 1 homerun, and contributed 4 RBIs, earning him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Head coach Tseng Hao-chu stated that the victory was mainly due to smooth offensive sequencing and mutual reminders among the players. He also mentioned Lin Li's excellent performance, but emphasized that Liu Tzu-chieh's successful bunt execution in the 8th inning was also critical. Executing the tactic successfully, especially when the team hasn't utilized bunts throughout the season, led to the subsequent offensive surge.

Tseng Hao-chu also noted that while some errors led to runs during the game, starting pitcher Tyler Eppler managed well when he encountered difficulties, minimizing the damage. Eppler pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned run), and received no decision. The win went to relief pitcher Su Chun-chang. (Editor: Li Shu-hua) 1150707

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