Fubon Guardians vs TSG Hawks

The first four innings were a pitchers’ duel. Suzuki, bidding to become the 10th Japanese pitcher in CPBL history to reach 10 wins in a season, worked around early traffic but held the Hawks scoreless through four frames. Hagens was sharper still, allowing just one hit over the same stretch while benefiting from a double-play ball and a caught stealing to keep the Guardians off the board.

The deadlock broke in the top of the fifth. TSG strung together a single, a walk and a fielder’s choice to put two runners on with one out. Moya then stepped in and drove a pitch into the outfield gap, clearing the bases for a 2-0 Hawks lead.

Fubon’s best chance came in the bottom half. A single and a TSG error put a runner on third with one out, but Hagens bore down and stranded the runner to preserve the shutout. The Guardians managed only two more baserunners the rest of the night.

Moya’s two-run hit in the top of the fifth flipped the game decisively. Before that at-bat, Suzuki had held the Hawks to a .188 batting average with runners on base across the first four innings. Once the lead was established, Hagens had the breathing room to attack the strike zone, retiring 10 of the final 12 batters he faced.

Bradin Hagens, TSG Hawks — 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. The 35-year-old American entered the game with a 5.11 ERA and facing possible release before the 31 August foreign-player deadline. This outing — his longest scoreless start of the season — may have saved his roster spot. He threw 96 pitches, 62 for strikes.

Steven Moya, TSG Hawks — 1-for-3, 2 RBI. The former NPB slugger delivered the game’s only meaningful hit, a two-run knock that decided the contest. It was his 48th and 49th RBIs of the 2026 campaign.

Suzuki Shunsuke, Fubon Guardians — 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K. The Japanese right-hander was denied his 10th win despite a competitive outing. His season ERA ticked up slightly to 2.28.

Fubon bullpen — Wu Shih-hao and Tseng Chun-yueh combined for 2.2 scoreless innings, keeping the Guardians within striking distance, but the offence never provided support.

The final hit count (TSG 7, Fubon 4) and the 2-0 scoreline accurately reflect a game dominated by starting pitching. TSG’s 7 hits were clustered — four came in the decisive fifth inning alone, while the Guardians managed only one hit after the fifth. Both teams committed errors (Fubon 1, TSG 2), but neither mistake proved costly. Fubon went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base; TSG went 2-for-7 with RISP.

For TSG (14-17 in the second half), the win snapped a two-game skid and lifted them past Fubon into fifth place in the second-half standings. For Fubon (13-17), the loss dropped them to last in the second-half table and halted their momentum after winning four of their previous six. In the full-season standings, Fubon sits second at 47-43, while TSG remains fourth at 44-46.

The Guardians return to Xinzhuang on 28 August for game two of the series against the Hawks, with TSG looking to build on Hagens’ statement performance. The 31 August foreign-player deadline looms for both clubs.

A taut pitchers’ duel settled by one swing. Hagens delivered his best start of the year under maximum pressure, while the Guardians’ offence — so effective in the first inning earlier this season — was kept off the scoreboard for the ninth time in 2026. The Hawks’ decision on Hagens’ future just got a lot more complicated.