Central News Agency(Taipei, May 5, CNA by reporter Su Chih-yu) The Wei Chuan Dragons defeated the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions 3-0 today in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Free-agent signees Chen Tzu-hao and Chu Yu-hsien both hit home runs, while foreign pitcher John Gant delivered another stellar performance—6 innings, 7 strikeouts, and no runs allowed. After the game, Gant joked about his friendly rivalry with teammate Andrew Gagnon after overtaking him for the league lead in strikeouts.Prior to the game, Gant led the league in ERA and ranked second in strikeouts. Today, he threw 98 pitches over 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits and no runs, lowering his ERA to 1.32. Dragons manager Yeh Chun-chang noted that although Gant used more pitches than ideal, it was due to opposing teams gradually adjusting to his style. "Still, he managed to control the game effectively," Yeh said.Gant admitted his pitch efficiency wasn't optimal, often falling into 2- or 3-ball counts, but expressed relief at completing 6 innings. With 99 total strikeouts, he surpassed Gagnon's 93 to claim the league's top spot. "This is going to be an exciting competition. We're both pushing each other—we'll see who comes out on top in the end," Gant said.The Dragons took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Chen Tzu-hao hit a solo home run. Later, Kuo Tien-hsin singled and stole second, followed by a timely RBI single from Kili Kawasan. The third run came in the bottom of the 8th when Chu Yu-hsien launched a home run. This marks the third time Chen and Chu have homered in the same game since joining the Dragons as free agents last year.Manager Yeh explained that batting Chen ninth was initially intended to reduce pressure, but the move improved lineup continuity. He hopes Chen regains his peak form. The team's aggressive base stealing today was a strategic choice to keep pitchers off balance. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150805Stand with the truth. Every sponsorship helps defend press freedom.Download the CNA 'Breaking News' app to stay updated.Text, images, and videos on this site may not be reproduced, broadcast, or transmitted without authorization.