May 25,2007
2007 CBL News 【Vol.6】
【Chinese Baseball League Week-6 Digest】
The Stars Come out in Wuxi
【Jiangsu Hopestars・Chen Biao】
[May 20th, 2007] All-Star weekend in the 2007 Chinese Baseball
League this year takes place in beautiful Wuxi. Before the All-Star
game match, the pros took part in several skills competitions, with
Guangdong Leopard Ji Ze taking home the fastest baserunning prize,
and Hopestar Chen Biao besting the finalists in the homerun hitting
contest.
After a quick opening ceremony, the game began at 6. The
southern division squad opened behind the efforts of Liu Kai, who had
a dominant 16K performance the previous week. He quickly finished
off the North with two strikeouts and a pop-out. In the bottom of the
first, after the South’s Zhang Yufeng led off with a pop-out, Tang Wei
reached first on an error by the shortstop, and cleanup hitter Lin
Xiaofan followed with a two-run blast to right-center field, opening the
scoring field wide.
In the second, the south switched pitchers to Shanghai’s Zhang Jun, and the North switched to
Dragons pitcher Chen Kun. Both pitchers stifled all offensive scoring opportunities. In the third, the
north’s number eight hitter Liu Zhicheng started off the rally with a single, Beijing’s Li Lei got on
with a walk, and number two spot Xie Peng hit a long shot to the game to score Liu from second.
In the fourth, Zhang Jun settled down and didn’t give up another hit. In the bottom of the fourth, the
north turned to young Beijing sidearm pitcher Wu Meng, who had no problem until he faced the
South’s Li Xinxiong and Lin Xiaofan, who’s one-two combo punched home another run.
The remaining contest became a pitcher’s duel until the ninth, as
both sides put up zeros. The South relied on a strong effort from
pitchers from Huang Quan to Zhang Li, and the North from
Tianjin’s Zhang Yunfeng. The North waiting until the ninth to mount
their rally back. When five-spot Sun Wei got on with a double, Feng
Fei followed up with a triple. Liu Jianzhong then solidly connected for
a single to left, evening the score at 3 apiece. To finish off their
comeback, Liu Zhicheng hit a sacrifice to center, which enabled a
runner to come home and north to take the lead.
【MVP Beijing・Li Lei】
In the bottom of the ninth, the North switched pitchers to Tianjin
stalwart Lv Jiangang, who masterfully navigated the South offence to
produce two strikeouts and a groundout, finalizing a North come
from behind victory.
Beijing player Li Lei won player of the game honors, and Zhang
Yunfeng and Lin Xiaofan were runners up. Also honored were: Lv
Jiangang, Liu Jianzhong, Sun Wei, Liu Zhicheng, Zhang Li, Huang
Quan, Tang Wei, and Zhang Yunfeng.
The focus of next week’s games will be in Beijing, as the Tigers host Tianjin in a northern division
showdown. Sichuan takes on the Eagles in Shanghai, and the Hopestars will be at Guangzhou taking on
the Leopards.
【All star game score board】
May 20 18:00 Jiangsu Wuxi Stadium
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
| Northwest all star |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
| Southwest all star |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
