Fubon Guardians End Wei Chuan Dragons' 9-Game Winning Streak; Li Dong-ming: 'We Are a Formidable Opponent'

The Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) won 5-1 today, snapping the Wei Chuan Dragons' 9-game winning streak. Guardians pitcher Li Dong-ming, who delivered a strong performance of 6.1 scoreless innings, said after the game, 'It was time for someone to end their winning streak. We are also a formidable opponent.' Before the game, the Dragons were ranked first in the CPBL and had lit up their 'M17' magic number for the first-half title. After the second-place Guardians won, the magic number was frozen, and the gap between the two teams was narrowed to four games. Guardians manager Tomotaka Goto said he felt no special pressure facing the winning Dragons, stating, 'We are in the role of chasing from below.' Li Dong-ming allowed four hits through the first six innings. He continued to pitch in the seventh but was pulled after giving up two consecutive hits with one out. The bullpen held the lead, leaving him with a final line of 6.1 innings, six hits allowed, no runs, and an ERA of 1.83. The Guardians' offense took the lead in the top of the third with a two-run homer by Chang Yu-cheng, added a run in the sixth due to an error, and Shen Hao-wei hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh. Li Dong-ming earned his sixth win of the season, matching his total from the previous five years combined. Goto said, 'Li Dong-ming's performance today was as good as ever. I replaced him in the seventh because his velocity was dropping. His pitch selection has changed significantly this year, and he is now able to compete within the strike zone, which is why he has become a winning pitcher.' Regarding the change in pitch selection, Li said, 'I used to be more impulsive, relying purely on fastballs. This year, I trust my breaking balls, and after some combinations, I've seen results.' Regarding the Dragons, Li admitted he had studied them before the game and executed the plan. 'They must see the ball like a basketball right now. It was time for someone to end their streak, whether it was me or my teammates.' Regarding his performance after five days of rest, including eight strikeouts, Li said, 'My fastball wasn't in the best shape, so I focused on pitching to spots where the hitters couldn't attack easily. I didn't notice I had that many strikeouts, but I hoped to finish the seventh inning to save the bullpen. My ability was insufficient.'