Welcome to the first full CPBL weekly round up of the season. There were no rain related issues this week as 10 scheduled games went ahead.

Fubon Guardians v CTBC Brothers – Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday we got our first look at Fubon Guardians and Henry Sosa as he took on Jose DePaula and CTBC Brothers. This was a fairly tight game, Kao Kuo Hui put Fubon up 1-0 with a homer in the 2nd and Hu Chin Long’s RBI made it 2-0 in the 3rd. Brothers Su Chi Hung made it 2-1 in the 5th only for Fubon to score in the 7th and take a 3-1 lead that wouldn’t be threatened. Both starters pitched 7 but DePaula took the loss.

Wednesday’s game was a battle of two Taiwanese pitchers, Chen Shih Peng and Huang En Tzu, both of whom would concede 4 runs in the their 5/6 innings respectively. The scores were level after 6 but Brothers edged ahead in the 7th thanks to Chan Tzu Hsien’s sac fly. Going into the 9th and down 1, the Guardians had to score and did. Hu Chin Long’s long single brought Chang Cheng Wei from 2nd to make it 5-5. The game went to the 11th before the next runs…

Chang Cheng Wei hit an RBI single to put Fubon up 6-5 and almost like in the 9th Hu Chin Long brought Chang Cheng Wei home from 3rd with a sac fly. 7 5 Guardians. Brothers needed two runs. Chan Tzu Hsien made 7-6 with a 2 out home run and Brothers put two men on base. Su Chi Hung was caught in left field and the ga.e was over. Final score: Guardians 7 Brothers 6.

Uni Lions v Rakuten Monkeys – Wednesday and Thursday.

Those who’ve followed the CPBL for a while will know Uni Lions don’t travel to Taoyuan well and came into these two fixtures with 5 wins from their last 30 visits.

Wednesday gave us the longest game of the season so far with a 5 hour 6 thriller that gave us 9 home runs. Pan Wei Lun started for Uni Lions and Ryan Carpenter Rakuten Monkeys, both of whom had no impact on the final outcome. Pan conceded 6 runs including 4 homers in his 5.1 and Carpenter pitched a quality start, 5 hits, 2 runs in the first six. With Rakuten leading 6-3 Carpenter came back out in the 7th only to concede 2 more hits. He came off and the Monkeys bullpen allowed both runners to score. 6-5. Rakuten responded with Chu Yu Hsien’s RBI 7-5 after 7.

The game was levelled in the top of the 8th as Chen Yung Chi and Cheng Kai Wen went back to back for Lions off Chen Yu Hsun. No further score until the 10th when Pan Jie Kai hit a single to make it 8-7 Lions. The lead was not off to last as Chu Yu Hsien hit a home run in the bottom of the 10th then remarkably, repeated that with a walk off home run in the bottom of 12th. 4 hits, 4 RBIs including 3HRs for the 2019 MVP. Final score, Lions 8 9 Monkeys.

On Thursday the Monkeys showed the baseball world why they are baseball kings of Taiwan with a resounding 15-3 victory. This game started normally with Donn Roach taking on Monkeys Wang Yi Cheng on the mound. Lions lead 2-1 entering the bottom of the 4th, only for Monkeys Chu Yu Hsien to hit home run 4 of the season and put them up 4-2.

The home side then went in for the kill in typical Monkeys fashion, 2 in the 5th and 6th and a crazy 7 runs in the 7th. Lions scored a late consolation but it was a brutal demonstration of what Rakuten Monkeys can do. Final score: 15-3 Monkeys. Chu took MVP again with 3 hit, 5RBI and 2 HR performance. Also of note was Chen Chen Wei stealing 3 times and being walked 3 times, the lead off man made 3 runs off just 2 plate appearances and one hit.

Uni Lions v CTBC Brothers – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Back to Taichung on Friday for Uni Lions with Chiang Chen Yen taking on Esmil Rogers.

This game centered around the 4th inning. Brothers put two on with 0 outs only for Lin Chih Sheng to hit one to 1st and play Brothers into a double play. A hit and a walk then loaded the bases, only for pitcher Chiang to attempt a pick off. Attempt it was, as the ball struck Chen Tzu Hao on the neck and Brothers score two runs although Chen didn’t continue.

Esmil Rogers looked comfortable striking out 11 Uni Lions who rarely threatened with the bat. The sides exchanged runs in the 5th. Chiang went off having given up 5 hits, 1 unearned run off his 6 innings. A good start but he would end up taking the loss.

The 7th inning saw Lin Hang concede 1 hit and 3 unearned runs with 0 outs as Lions made a series of mistakes in the field. No further score after that as Brothers picked up their first win and Lions fell to their 3rd defeat in a row. Final score: Lions 1 Brothers 6.

Saturday’s game was Ryan Feierabend v Ariel Miranda part two with a clear winner this time. Lions went 1 up in the top of the 4th then found themselves 4-1 down. Feierabend didn’t have a bad start, 7 hits and 3 earned runs off 6 but Uni Lions struggled with the bat all night. Just 3 hits all evening although Chen Yung Chi did pull a run back in the 7th, Brothers went 6-2 up in the bottom of the 8th in bizarre fashion. Yueh Tung Hua hit the ball to first with 2 outs only for it to hit the first base bag on the next pitch rookie Jiang Kun Yu drilled his 1st ever home run. No Lions comeback or even a sniff of one, final score Lions 2 Brothers 6.

Sunday’s game looked like a mismatch as Lions Shih Tzu Chien made his first appearance of the season against Jose DePaula. Shih had had a poor 2019, a poor spring training and had an ERA of 12.27 off 4 starts in the 2nd team.

Taiwanese baseball does what it does best and completely surprise you and knock you off your feet. Lin Ching Kai lead off with a triple and would score off Chen Chieh Hsien’s hit. Into the second and Lions made 3 hits in a row to go 2-0 up, Tang Chao Ting made it 4 in a row and Lin An Ke tried to come home. He was tagged out at the plate but Lions made a successful challenge and the run stood. (For the record as a Lions fan, Lin did look out!) 2 runners on, 0 outs and curtains for DePaula? No. 3 swift outs followed including another play at the plate, this time no challenge and this looked more challenge worthy!

Shih Tzu Chien threw just 27 pitches off his opening 3 with no further incident until the 5th. Jiang Kun Yu hit his second Brothers home run to make it 3-1 and they brought back to 3-2 thanks to a Wu Tung Rong triple. Chan Tzu Hsien flew out in centre and inning over.

Into the 6th and with 2 on, 2 outs Lin Ching Kai was struck out, except he wasn’t! The ball squirmed away from the catcher, Lin made 1st and the runner on 3rd scored. Lin An Ke’s two run homer helped increase the lead to 7-2 in the 8th before Brothers came back immediately through a Lin Chin Sheng homer to make it 7 4. Lions closer Chen Yun Wen struck out 3 in a row to avoid the series sweep and get the save. Final score: Lions 7 Brothers 4.

Fubon Guardians v Rakuten Monkeys – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday’s game was a thriller and saw Bryan Woodall take on Elih Villenueva on the mound. 2 run home runs from Kao Kuo Hui and Lin Li had this tied at 2 after 3 before Monkeys CF Cheng Jin blew the game open with a 3 run homer. So Monkeys up 5-2, the floodgates open? No. The exact opposite happened. Fubon blew this wide open the other way with a 7 run, 2 home run 5th to make it 9-5. In typical Monkeys fashion, they did what they do best, score. 1 run in the bottom of the 5th to make it 9-6 then Chen Chun Chiu helped with a 2 run shot to make it 9-8 in the bottom of the 7th. Liao Chien Fu then made it 9-9.

Chang Cheng Wei put Fubon back ahead with a home run only for Lin Li to win the game with a 2 run HR to put Rakuten 11-10 ahead in the bottom of the 8th. No Fubon comeback, final score: Guardians 10 Monkeys 11.

Saturday’s game was another run fest as Jiang Guo Hao faced off against Lisalverto Bonilla. It was 2-2 after 4 innings and looking good for the visitors but the Monkeys do what do, and shredded the Guardians pitchers. 10 runs between the 5th and 7th made it 12-2. Bonilla had a solid evening 4H, 2ER off 7 but his replacements nearly opened the door.

The Monkeys bullpen allowed Fubon to score 3 in the 8th and Yu Meng Xu’s 2 RBI shot made it 12-9 in the bottom of the 9th. A pitching change brought about the final out. Final score: Guardians 9 Monkeys 12.

Sunday looked like a predictable result. Henry Sosa against a young Weng Wei Chun. It looked obvious, Sosa will shut down the Monkeys and Weng will allow a few runs. That analysis wasn’t quite right. This was a tight game and both starters had fantastic performances.

The sides exchanged runs early on but it was the home team who took the game with runs in the 5th and 7th off Sosa. Weng went for an impeccable 3H, 1ER off 7. A low scoring, low hitting encounter (13 overall) with 4 errors. Final score: Guardians 1 Monkeys 3.

*Note I’m aware of a mass brawl in this game but I didn’t watch it and won’t therefore be covering it. If anyone wants to add details, message me and I’ll credit you.

This week’s schedule

Uni Lions v Fubon Guardians – Tues and Wed at Xinzhuang

Rakuten Monkeys v CTBC Brothers – Wed and Thurs at Taichung I.C

Rakuten Monkeys v Uni Lions – Fri, Sat and Sun in Tainan

CTBC Brothers v Fubon Guardians – Fri, Sat, Sun at Xinzhuang

5:05pm at weekends, 6:35pm otherwise.

Enjoy