It’s the time of the week to look back at last week’s CPBL action and look at the upcoming schedule.

Uni Lions v Fubon Guardians – Tues and Wed

It was a miserable second start to the season for Lions veteran pitcher Pan Wei Lun. Pan lasted just 1.1 innings as he conceded 8 runs, giving up 6H and 2BB. Fubon’s pitchers had an easy evening, giving away 6H and 2R, one unearned, both those to starter Chen Shih Peng who pitched 6.1. Fubon lead 10-1 after 3 and would come away comfortable winners. Final score: Lions 2 Guardians 13.

Wednesday’s game saw Donn Roach take on Bryan Woodall and it was Roach who got his first CPBL win. Woodall lasted just 2.0 innings, 5 runs, 5 hits and 3 walks as Lions took an early 5-1 lead. Fubon pulled it back to 5-4 in the 4th before 4 runs in the top of 5th pushed Lions into what was an ultimately unassailable lead. Fubon scored late on but never looked like getting back into it. Final score Lions 9 Guardians 5.

Rakuten Monkeys v CTBC Brothers – Wed and Thurs

More extra innings as the CPBL heavyweights matched up in Taichung. Brothers starter Liao Yi Zhong conceded twice early but would last 7 and only give up those 2 runs and 9 hits. Ryan Carpenter pitched 92, with 5H and 0 runs as the bullpen let Brothers allowed back in it. Lin Chih Sheng and Chou Su Chi tied it up with RBIs in the 8th. So to extras after a blank 9th and Chen Chun Chiu’s single ultimately won the game in the top of the 10th. Final score: Monkeys 3 Brothers 2. Side note, Monkeys red hot hitter Chu Yu Hsien went 1 for 5 with 3Ks.

Thursday’s game was meant to be about Justin Nicolino’s first CPBL start and it was going great until the rain arrived. He conceded 3H 1R in 2 innings as the game was abandoned in the mid of the 3rd with the score 4-1 to Rakuten Monkeys. This game will continue at a later date.

CTBC Brothers v Fubon Guardians – Weekend series

A record setting night for Brothers allowed Ariel Miranda to cruise to his 2nd CPBL win on Friday at Xinzhuang Stadium. Every Brothers hitter had multiple hits (matching a record) and they bludgeoned young Guardians starter Chiang Kuo Hao. Chiang gave up 7 runs in the opening frame and would go onto concede 14 hits, 10 runs over 5. Miranda was scoreless over 6 and Brothers would nil Guardians in an 11-0 thrashing with 10 strike outs. An impressive outing for the Taichung side.

Saturday’s game saw a battle of the Dominican pitchers, Esmil Rogers and Henry Sosa although neither would impact on the final result. Brothers took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd, Fubon came back into it in the 5th off Lin Che Hsuan’s homer and his double tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the 6th. Yang Jin Hao then put Fubon ahead as Rogers was taken off and score sat at 5-4 Guardians after 6.

Chan Tzu Hsien levelled the game again in the top of the 7th as Brothers looked to retake the lead. They had 2 on with nobody out but were unable to score again. Lin Chih Sheng hitting the winning RBI in the top of the 8th as Brothers came out on top again. It finished Brothers 6 Guardians 5. Sosa only has 1 win from his first 3 starts, Brothers putting up 12 runs to 6 on ankfhet good day for them.

Sunday’s game was another close encounter as Jose DePaula faced young Guardians starter You Ting Wei. Unlike on Friday, Brothers didn’t have their way with this youngster. In fact You had a solid outing giving up 6H and 1R as Fubon led 4-1 after 6. Fan Yu Yu gave away 3H 2R with 0 outs and Brothers sensed something only for Lin Yi Hao to strike out 2 and finish off the inning. Dai Pei Feng extended the lead to 5-3 and Fubon held on despite a Brothers comeback run in the top of the 8th. Final score Brothers 4 Guardians 5. A series win for Brothers restricting Guardians to just 19 hits all weekend, one to ponder for Guardians fans…

Rakuten Monkeys v Uni Lions – Weekend series

As Brothers took apart Chiang Kuo Hao at Xinzhuang, Rakuten did the same to Chiang Chen Yen and the Lions in Tainan. Chu Yu Hsien hit 2 more home runs as Rakuten made 9 hits, 9 runs in the opening 4 as Chiang Chen Yen toiled. This lead would be extended to 14 with 2 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th. Unlike Fubon, Uni Lions wouldn’t be nilled as they made 4 runs off Chiang Kuo Chien in the bottom of 9th. Another solid start for Monkeys veteran Wang Yi Cheng who conceded just 4 hits and a walm off 7 innings. His ERA stands at a league best 1.29. Final score Monkeys 14 Lions 4.

Friday’s game had been a blowout and with the way Saturday’s game featuring Lisalverto Bonila v Ryan Feierabend started, you’d have expected the same. Feierabend immediately gave up 3 hits and a sac fly to let Rakuten take a 2-0 lead. Kuo Yun Wen struck out but the league’s hot hitter Chu Yu Hsien hit a home run to right to make it 4-0. In response, 3 quick outs followed and it was soon 5-0 off Lin Cheng Fei’s homer.

Uni Lions started to offer some resistance and off 3 hits and a walk to start the 2nd pulled it back to 5-2. With 2 on and 1 out, things looked promising only to end up with their 2nd double play. Two outs started the 4th only for Rakuten to load the bases and Lin Hung Yu hit a 2 RBI single. There was to be no further damage instead Uni Lions chipped away at the Monkeys lead. Su Chih Chieh’s homer made it 7-3 in the 6th and 3 consecutive RBIs by the top of the Lions order made it 7-6 after 7. Rakuten Monkeys managed to load the bases in the top of the 9th as they sought to extend their lead but Lions closer struck out Lan Yin Lun and Monkeys closer Chen Yu Hsun came to the mound…

Lions centre fielder tied the game with a lead off home run. A walk allowed Lin Ching Kai to sac bunt and put Lions in a position to win the game. Lin An Ke did precisely that with a hard shot to the gap between 1st and 2nd with it Uni Lions walked off and became the first side to beat Rakuten Monkeys in 2020. Final score Monkeys 7 Lions 8.

Sunday’s game proved anything is possible in the CPBL. Two young pitchers Weng Wei Chun and Shih Tzu Chien both of whom had been excellent in their first start of the season. This game was quickly over. Uni Lions went 1, 2, 3, 4 off the opening 4 innings to take a 10-0 lead and stun the Monkeys with 11 hits. Shih Tzu Chien retired 11 straight before Lan Yin Lun got the Monkeys first hit in the 4th. Shih threw a mid game wobble but Lions led 11-4 after 6. 11-4 became 12-4 off Kuo Fu Lin’s 2nd HR of the game. A lot of Monkeys hits but they scored just once more in the game. Another fairly solid outing by the Lions bullpen and 12 runs, 17 hits as they became the first team this season to take down Rakuten Monkeys in a series. Final score Monkeys 5 Lions 12.

This week’s schedule

Monkeys v Guardians at Xinzhuang on Tues and Wed

Brothers v Lions in Tainan on Wed and Thurs

Brothers v Monkeys at Taoyuan on Fri, Sat, Sun

Guardians v Lions in Tainan on Fri, Sat, Sun.

That’s all for now. Continue to follow my Twitter @chapeltom and I’ll see you next week!