The 2026 Chinese Professional Baseball League season kicked off this past Saturday in Taiwan, and the Rakuten Monkeys made history by becoming the first team in CPBL history to win the season opener on a walk-off hit by pitch.
Saturday’s matchup featured the two clubs from last year’s Taiwan Series, the Monkeys and CTBC Brothers. A sold-out crowd of 40,000 at the Taipei Dome looked on as Rakuten outfielder Lin Cheng-Hua took a pitch off his right foot with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
Tied at two in the ninth, former Major League Baseball infielder Tzu-Wei Lin connected for a leadoff single for the Monkeys, sparking a rally that included an error, a fielder’s choice, and an intentional walk.
Last year’s CPBL MVP, right-handed starting pitcher Pedro Fernandez, allowed six hits and struck out four in five scoreless innings for the Monkeys. Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed just one earned run and struck out seven in six frames for the Brothers, but sat and watched from the dugout as his team fell short.
Saturday’s game was the eighth sold-out CPBL game at the Taipei Dome. Overall, the Taipei Dome has seen 11 sell-outs, including Taiwan Series matchups, according to a report from the World Baseball Softball Confederation. In 2025, the CPBL’s attendance surpassed three million for the first time.
In the standings, four clubs (Wei Chuan Dragons, Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, Fubon Guardians, TSG Hawks) have begun the season with a 2-1 record. Last year’s two half-season champions (Monkeys, Brothers) are both 1-3.
Photo: Team CTBC Brother celebrate after winning the Tiwan Series Game One at Taipei Dome on October 19, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
