Brothers Miss Victory in 12-Inning Tie After Bizarre Baserunning Blunder

A dramatic turn of events saw the Chinese Professional Baseball League game between the CTBC Brothers and the Rakuten Monkeys end in a 9-9 tie after 12 innings. The Brothers were on the verge of a victory in the bottom of the 12th inning, but a peculiar baserunning mistake by substitute runner Lin Jui-chun cost them the win.

The game was a back-and-forth affair. The Brothers initially took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Monkeys fought back, with Lin Tzu-wei hitting a solo home run in the fifth. The score was tied 8-8 in the ninth, forcing extra innings.

In the 12th inning, the Monkeys scored three runs to take a 9-6 lead. The Brothers responded by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game again. With runners on first and third and one out, Wang Cheng-hsun hit a single, scoring the runner from third. Lin Jui-chun, who had entered as a pinch-runner for Wang Cheng-hsun, was on second base.

As the next batter, Chang Chih-hao, hit a fly ball to center field, the runner from third scored to tie the game. However, Lin Jui-chun, instead of staying at second base to await the outcome of the play, inexplicably ran towards home plate. The Monkeys threw the ball to second base, and Lin Jui-chun was called out for leaving the base early. The play was reviewed, and the original call was upheld, confirming that the runner from third had scored before the out was made. The game concluded with the tie.