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RECAP: Notes on the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL)

 Conor Liguori  |    May 8th, 2024 6:00pm EDT

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RHP Tyler Eppler Leads Dragons to 4-0 Win Over Monkeys  

On Wednesday, Wei Chuan Dragons starting pitcher Tyler Eppler won his third game of the season, holding the Rakuten Monkeys scoreless in his 5.2 innings on the mound. Eppler struck out four and gave up just two hits.  

Eppler, 31, has appeared in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Orix Buffaloes (2019), the Korea Baseball Organization for the Kiwoom Heroes (2022), and the Fubon Guardians during the 2023 CPBL season.  

 

Lions OF Lin An-Ko Leads CPBL in HR and RBI   

As of Wednesday, outfielder Lin An-Ko of the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions leads all qualified CPBL hitters with nine home runs and 31 RBI. He won Batter of the Month for April.  

 Steven Moya of the TSG Hawks is second in the CPBL with five home runs, and Lions shortstop Cheng Chung-Ting is second to his teammate Lin An-Ko with 20 RBI.  

Lin An-Ko set career-highs for home runs and RBI during the 2020 CPBL season, smashing 32 long balls and finishing with 99 RBI in 118 games.  

 

Lions SP Mario Sanchez Wins Pitcher of the Month for April  

 Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions starting pitcher Mario Sanchez won Pitcher of the Month in April in the CPBL. Sanchez is 4-0 with a 2.90 ERA in five games for the Lions and has struck out 33 batters in 31 innings pitched.  

Sanchez was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and is playing in his second season with the Lions. The 29-year-old played one season in the KBO with the KIA Tigers in 2023 and has three seasons of pitching experience in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional.  

 

This Day in Taiwanese Baseball History  

The first professional baseball game of 2020 with fans in attendance, between the Fubon Guardians and the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, occurred on May 8, 2020.  

According to Rest of World, Taiwan went 26 days without a reported case of COVID-19, and the government allowed 1,000 fans to attend the game. The Guardians defeated the Lions 7-6, and the game’s livestream received around 1.1 million viewers on X.  

 

CPBL Standings as of Wednesday, May 8  

 

  1. Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions (20-0-6) 
  2. CTBC Brothers (13-0-11) 
  3. Wei Chuan Dragons (13-0-13) 
  4. Fubon Guardians (11-0-13) 
  5. Rakuten Monkeys (11-0-13) 
  6. TSG Hawks (6-0-18) 

 

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Conor Liguori