BASEBALL/Zeng Sheng-an's three-run homer gives Dragons 2-0 lead in Taiwan Series

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Wei Chuan Dragons outfielder Zeng Sheng-an (曾聖安) hit a three-run homer to power his team to a 3-1 win over the CTBC Brothers at Taipei Dome on Sunday, giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead in the Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPBL) Taiwan Series.

With the Dragons trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the 20-year-old Zeng, who joined the team last season and was making his Taiwan Series debut, drove a fastball from Brothers starter Félix Peña over the right-field wall.

Zeng became the second-youngest player in CPBL history to hit a home run in the Taiwan Series.

The homer came after he committed a fielding error in the top of the inning that ultimately allowed the Brothers to take a 1-0 lead.

In a post-game interview, Zeng said that after making a mistake in the top of the inning, his coaches and veteran teammates told him to put it behind him and focus on what he could do next to help the team. He was glad he was able to bounce back in his next at-bat, he said.

Peña was later pulled from the mound in the same inning after being hit by a batted ball. He gave up four hits and three walks and struck out three batters over 4.2 innings.

Dragons starter Cristopher Mercedes pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out three.

The Dragons' second straight win puts them in a strong position to claim their sixth CPBL championship.

In the CPBL's 37-year history, teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven championship series have gone on to win the title 89.5 percent of the time.

After a day off Monday, the teams will meet again at Taipei Dome on Tuesday for Game 3.