【Chinese Baseball League “Championship Series in 2007” 】
2nd stage（June 29-30）
Season Ends with Tianjin Defending their Crown
Rivalry between Tianjin and Guangdong Grows

In week 12 of the 2007 Chinese Baseball League, this season’s champions, the Tianjin Lions, were crowned at Tianjin Dodger Stadium. The first two games were held in Guangzhou, with the Leopards and the Tigers splitting a game apiece. With a best of five format, the final three games this week would decide the champions. Through cloudy weather and rain, the CBL entered its final week.

In the first game in Tianjin, the third of the series, Tianjin sent their ace Su Changlong to the mound, and Guangdong sent theirs, Chen Junyi. In the first two innings, the Leopards got their leadoff runners on, but backstop Zhang Zhenwang was able to throw out both runners at second base when they attempted to steal. Tianjin’s offense had some slight differences from previous weeks, with middle-of-the order batter Wang Chao being moved to bat leadoff. Wang set the pace by taking pitches and only swinging at strikes, getting on base several times. By the end of seven innings, the score was even, with both team’s offenses behaving similarly. In the eighth, however, Guangdong scored three runs, and Tianjin followed suit by scoring five after a pitching change. The top hitter of the game, Tianjin’s Meng Zhaopeng, had two doubles and a triple, racking up three RBI’s. In the end it was Tianjin over Guangdong, 8-4. With the win, Tianjin expanded their lead in the series to 2 games to 1, and only needed one more win for the championship.

In the sixth and most crucial game, Guangdong had to come away with a win, or else Tianjin would put the final nail in the coffin for their season. Guangdong came out swinging, and in the second put two on with singles. A sacrifice fly and an error by the pitcher, Zhang Yunfeng allowed them both to score. Tianjin was held in check by Guangdong pitcher Liu Kai for the next few innings. In the fifth, they managed to get through, and scored two runs to even it at 2. In the sixth, Tianjin cleanup hitter Luo Yubin walked, and Liu Zhicheng knocked him home with a triple, which was the only extra-base hit on the day. In the sixth, Tianjin’s number seven hitter Yang Guogang sacrificed another run home to make the score 4-2. With that, Tianjin closer Lu Jiangang came in and shut the door to the game and the championship, pitching a flawless final two innings. With the win, Tianjin ushered in a second straight CBL championship, and staked another claim to their dominance in Chinese baseball.

After the game, individual awards were handed out to the players in an on-field ceremony. Guangdong’s Liu Kai won best rookie awards, and Tianjin’s Wang Chao won the best hitter and RBI award. Lu Jiangang won three prizes – best pitcher, best righty, and MVP of the series. To close out the awards, Guangdong’s Chen Junyi won the best lefty award, and Liu Guangbiao won the best defense award.

With the curtain finally down on the 2007 Chinese Baseball League, the rivalry between Tianjin and Guangdong is becoming a growing trend, with the Southern division’s biggest hope for a crown resting on their success. Though Tianjin’s veterans have brought the team a majority of its success, younger, similarly as talented players have been gradually rising up the ranks – only next year will we see whether Tianjin can defend its title.

	CG	W	L	PCT	Tianjin	Guangdong	HOME	ROAD
Tianjin　Lions	4	3	1	750		3-1	2-0	1-1
Guangdong　Leopards	4	1	3	250	1-3		1-1	0-2

June 29
June 29 18:00 　　Guangzhou Baseball Field

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Guangdong　Leopards	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	4	5	0
Tianjin　Lions	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	5	x	8	9	3

June 30
June 30 09:30 Guangzhou Baseball Field

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Guangdong　Leopards	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	0
Tianjin　Lions	0	0	1	0	1	2	0	0	x	4	8	2