BASEBALL/Yu Chang hammers first walk-off homer in CPBL

Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) Yu Chang (張育成) blasted his first walk-off home run in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) on Wednesday night, helping the Fubon Guardians snap their three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the TSG Hawks.

He rounded the bases, celebrating with both arms raised after watching the ball clear the fence in deep right-center field at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei. The three-run homer was exactly what everyone had been expecting from him -- and just what he needed.

"This is my job. The bottom line is I know what I'm doing," said the former Major Leaguer.

The Guardians were down 3-1 with two outs and runners on first and second when Chang, batting second, stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth for his fifth plate appearance of the night.

He had struck out in his first two at-bats and popped out to shortstop in his third before reaching base for the first time in the game with a walk in the eighth inning.

Ahead in the count 2-1, Chang crushed a fastball down the middle off Hawks closer Huang Qun (黃群).

"I'm grateful he didn't shy away from me," said the Guardians slugger. "He's young, brave, and smart. He probably knew I hadn't been in my groove recently, but that area was exactly what I was looking to attack."

Before Wednesday, Huang, a 21-year-old lefty, had posted a 2.61 ERA over 38 innings.

Chang's home run was his fifth of the season. Before that, many felt his performance at the plate hadn't lived up to expectations since he joined the Guardians on a CPBL-record deal as the first overall pick in the 2024 mid-season draft.

He went hitless in 19 straight at-bats from Aug. 1-9, with his average plunging to .192. He was hitting .230 as of Wednesday with 23 strikeouts in 74 at-bats, including 19 on swinging strikes.

However, multiple advanced metrics like on-base percentage and slugging percentage indicate that Chang remains one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup.

With the league-leading walk total over the past 41 days, Chang still has a .402 on-base percentage after Wednesday's game.

According to Rebas, a Taiwan-based sabermetrics company, Chang has drawn 20 walks in 97 plate appearances since his debut on July 12, five more than Hawks rookie Tseng Tzu-yu (曾子祐) during the same span.

Chang is averaging one home run per 14.8 at-bats, second only to Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who leads the CPBL with 23 homers, averaging one every 13.96 at-bats.

Speaking of the doubts he has faced recently, Chang, who was named MVP of the game, expressed gratitude for both the support and skepticism he has received.

"I knew fans would scrutinize my performance when I decided to come back [to Taiwan]. I'm really thankful for their attention because without it, no one would know who I am. I hope they keep watching, whether I play well or poorly."

After the game, the Guardians remained in fifth place in the six-team league, improving their record to 12-15, just 0.5 games behind the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions and two games ahead of the Hawks.

The Guardians will host the Hawks again on Thursday.