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05/17/2003 Archived Entry: "Taiwan Baseball News: Pan Wins Chickenpox Bout; Gabriel Ozura Added To Roster"
Taiwan Baseball News: Pan Back From Chickenpox Bout; Ozura Added To Roster
By Andrew Wong
President Lions 7 Makoto Gida 1
Back from his bout with the chickenpox, President Lions rookie Wei-luen Pan helped his team to a 7-1 win over the Makoto Gida last night in front of 3,737 onlookers at Hualen Stadium with a solid seven inning performance. Pan gave up one hit and struck out seven batters in seven shutout innings to improve to 6-1-0. He threw 114 pitches, 68 of them for strikes, and was named the Game's MVP.
The 21-14-1 Lions made it 4-1 when the 13-22-1 Gida committed a critical error that led to four earned runs off reliever Ned Daley, who scattered three hits and gave up five runs, one of which was earned, in 1 1/3 innings. Fellow American native Ken Henthorne started for the Gida and gave up two earned runs on three hits in seven innings to drop to 0-2-0.
Lions first baseman/left fielder Chuan-jia Wang finished the evening 1-for-2 with one run scored and had two RBIs while center fielder Kang-ling Huang, batting ninth in the lineup, went 1-for-3 and scored twice.
The Gida only mustered four hits and second baseman Yi-shian Lin had two of those as he went 2-for-4 and plated a run.
Leos closer Jung-yang Tsao pitched 1 2/3 innings for his ninth save of the season.
With the win, the Lions are still 3.5 games back of the Chinese Professional Baseball League-leading Sinon Bulls, who will play the Brother Elephants tonight at Tian Mu Stadium (6:35 p.m. Taiwan time).
But the Lions can still control their own fate as they play the Gida again tonight (6:35 p.m. Taiwan time) at Hualen Stadium.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Lions 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 7 6 0
Gida 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 1
WP: Wei-luen Pan (6-1-0)
LP: Ken Henthorne (0-2-0)
SV: Jung-yang Tsao (9)
Game MVP: P Wei-luen Pan (Lions)
Attendance: 3,737
Venue: Hualen Stadium, Taiwan
Game time: 3:20
First Securities Agan 0 China Trust Whales 12
It was interesting to see how a team which leads the CPBL in the number of games where they have scored in double digits (eight) - the China Trust Whales - would fair against a last-place team that has experienced seven shutouts - the First Securities Agan. Well, you saw the score. The Whales blew out the Agan 12-0 last night before 760 fans at Shingcung Stadium.
Japanese native Hiroaki Nakayama was named the Game MVP as he shutout the Agan for seven innings, allowing just the five hits while striking out four to improve to 6-1-0. He ended up throwing 92 pitches, 62 of them for strikes.
The big blow for the 23-12-3 Whales came in the bottom half of the seventh inning as Dominican native Juan Melo launched a grand-slam home run off newly acquired Agan starter Gabriel Ozura (0-1-0). The switch-hitting Melo finished 1-for-5 with one run scored and had four RBIs. Ozura gave up all 12 runs, 10 of them earned, in six innings on 11 hits. He ended up throwing 83 pitches, 58 of them for strikes.
Almost everybody chipped in for the Whales. Center fielder Song-hsuen Yang and second baseman Yueh-liang Lin each went 1-for-4 with one run scored and another driven in.
With the win, the Whales are now 1.5 games back of the idle league-leading Bulls.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Agan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
Whales 0 0 2 3 0 7 0 0 X 12 13 1
WP: Hiroaki Nakayama (6-1-0)
LP: Gabriel Ozura (0-1-0)
HR: 3B Juan Melo (Whales) (2, off Ozura)
Game MVP: P Hiroaki Nakayama (Whales)
Attendance: 760
Venue: Shingcung Stadium, Taiwan
Game time: 2:37
AGAN NOTE: The Agan have added Dominican pitcher Gabriel Ozura to the 25-man roster. He throws and hits right, is 180 cm tall and weighs 76 kg. Ozura has had experience in the CPBL before. Meanwhile, fellow Dominican pitcher Javier Samboy was moved off the roster.
Dominican hitter Manuel Kranlogs has quietly changed his name to Manuel Francois.
Today's Games (6:35 p.m. Taiwan time)
At Tian Mu Stadium: Sinon Bulls (24-10-1) at Brother Elephants (16-18-1)
At Hualen Stadium: President Lions (21-14-1) at Makoto Gida (13-22-1)
April 16 Results
At Taichung Stadium: Sinon Bulls 3 Brother Elephants 1
At Shingchu Stadium: First Securities Agan 4 China Trust Whales 13
2003 Chinese Professional Baseball League standings
W L T GB Pct.
1. Sinon Bulls 24 10 1 --- .706
2. China Trust Whales 23 12 3 1.5 .657
3. President Lions 21 14 1 3.5 .600
4. Brother Elephants 16 18 1 8.0 .471
5. Makoto Gida 13 22 1 11.5 .371
6. First Securities Agan 7 28 1 17.5 .200
