Dragons Win Game 1 of Taiwan Series behind Gant’s Dominance on the Mound

The CTBC Brothers and Wei Chuan Dragons opened Game 1 of the Taiwan Series at the Taipei Dome on Saturday. The Dragons turned to their ace and favorite to win the MVP Award, John Gant, while Mario Sánchez got the start on the mound for the Brothers.

The anticipated pitching duel did not disappoint. Through 4 1/2 innings, neither team had scored, and the starters had combined to allow just three hits. The Brothers’ biggest threat came when they put runners on first and second with one out, but Gant induced a clutch double play to end the inning. After five scoreless innings in a 0-0 game, Gant’s teammates finally provided some offensive support.

The Dragons opened the bottom of the fifth with a single and a double. Jun-Wei Liu then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Dragons on the board and give them a 1-0 lead. Chen-Hsun Lin followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, extending the lead to 2-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons added to their advantage when Ji-Hong Liu hit a two-out RBI single to make it 3-0.

With just enough offensive support, Gant showed why he is the likely MVP of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2026. After allowing back-to-back singles in the fourth, Gant retired 13 of the next 14 batters, allowing only one walk. He pitched eight scoreless innings, allowed just two hits and recorded a strikeout.

The Dragons took their 3-0 lead into the ninth inning. Closer Kai-Wei Lin entered and allowed a one-out walk but followed with a flyout and a strikeout to secure the victory. Gant and Lin combined for a two-hit shutout in Game 1.

The Dragons entered the series with a significant advantage on the mound, and that advantage was on full display in the opener.

Seeking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, the Dragons will turn to CC Mercedes in Game 2. Mercedes ranked third in the CPBL this season with a 1.79 ERA in 135 2/3 innings. The Brothers will counter with Félix Peña, who posted a 3.56 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings during the regular season.