In the CPBL, the playoff series between the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions and the Rakuten Monkeys began on Saturday, October 12. The Uni-Lions also started the series at a 1-0 advantage, meaning they would only need to win two games to advance. Here is how the games went:
GAME 1: U-Lions-2, Monkeys 1
The Monkeys were able to get ahead early in the second inning, courtesy of a sac-fly from Ma Chieh-Sen that scored Chu Yu-Hsien to go ahead 1-0. As for the U-Lions, shortstop Sheng Ping Chen went 2-3 with an RBI, and Lin Chia Wei also provided an RBI. Their ace, Gu Lin Ruei Yang, threw seven scoreless innings, allowing one unearned run and giving up five hits while striking out five en route to the U-Lions, taking a 2-0 series lead.
GAME 2: Monkeys 17, U-Lions 1
Game 2 was an offensive explosion for Rakuten. They knocked out former MLB veteran Logan Ondrusek after scoring five runs in the third inning and followed it up by adding another four runs in the fourth inning. Chu Yu-Hsien went 2-5 at the plate, including a home run and two RBIs. Marcelo Martinez pitched phenomenally for the Monkeys, going six scoreless innings, allowing six hits, walking one batter, and striking out two batters. The Monkeys would win the game 17-1, making the series 2-1, with the U-Lions still ahead.
GAME 3: U-Lions 8, Monkeys 5
The U-Lions would send Mario Sanchez to the mound for Game 3, as he faced off against Monkeys left-hander Matthew Kent. The U-Lions wasted no time and got the work right away, scoring three runs in the first inning and one run in the second to put up a 4-0 lead. They would add another three runs in the fourth inning as their lead increased to seven. Chen Yung Chi went 1-4 but provided the biggest hit of the night, driving in three RBIs. Mario Sanchez was good on the hill, tossing 6.1 innings, walking one while allowing five hits, and striking out five batters, but he did allow five runs in his last inning of work. Chen Yun Wen was able to lock down the save, sending the Uni-Lions to the Taiwan Series to face the CTBC Brothers.
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WBN CPBL: https://worldbaseball.com/?s=CPBL
Photo Credit: Chung Yu Chen #65 of Uni-Lions bunts a single in the top of the second inning during the CPBL game. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
