CPBL· Season 2026
Rakuten Monkeys beat Uni Lions 8-4 at Taipei Dome, ending a franchise-record 22-inning scoreless drought with a four-run fourth inning. Liang Chia-Jung drove the go-ahead two-run double. Lin Tzu-Wei earned his fourth straight win.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Uni Lions struck first in the top of the second. Chen Yung-Chi drew a leadoff walk, advanced on Pan Chieh-Kai's single and a Lin Tzu-Hao sacrifice bunt, then scored on a sacrifice fly to centre for a 1-0 lead.
Rakuten had not scored in 22 consecutive innings before the bottom of the fourth. Chen Chen-Wei walked and Lin Li singled. After a Wick strikeout, Dao Wei-Sheng punched an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at 1-1. Li Hsun-Chieh then walked to load the bases.
Liang Chia-Jung stepped in and ripped a two-run double to right field, clearing the bases and putting Rakuten ahead 3-1. Lin Tzu-Wei — the hitter, not the pitcher of the same name — followed with an RBI single, capping the four-run frame. Starter Jordan Balazovic was lifted after 3.1 innings.
The Lions answered in the fifth. Chen Sheng-Ping doubled and scored on Hsu Che-Yen's single. A Chiu Chih-Cheng single put runners on the corners, and a groundout made it 4-3. But left-hander Lin Tzu-Wei (the pitcher) escaped further damage, finishing five innings with three earned runs allowed.
Rakuten padded the lead in the seventh when Lin Li reached on a left-field error by Su Chih-Chieh, and Wick followed with a sacrifice fly. Sung Chia-Hsiang singled in the eighth — snapping an 0-for-11 slide — and later scored on a hit; a second run crossed on an error. The Lions got one back in the bottom of the eighth on a Chen Sheng-Ping groundout, but never seriously threatened again.
The turning point
Liang's two-run double in the fourth inning broke the 22-inning scoreless drought — the longest in franchise history — and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. Balazovic had retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced before the inning unravelled.
Key performers
- Liang Chia-Jung, Rakuten Monkeys — MVP. Went 1-for-4 with the go-ahead two-run double that ended the scoreless streak and flipped the game.
- Lin Tzu-Wei, Rakuten Monkeys — Winning pitcher (4th straight win in the second half). 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 95 pitches.
- Jordan Balazovic, Uni Lions — Losing pitcher. 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 K, 3 BB, 61 pitches. Sharp for three innings before the fourth-inning collapse.
- Chen Chen-Wei, Rakuten Monkeys — Reached base three times from the leadoff spot (single, walk, HBP), scored twice and ignited the fourth-inning rally.
By the numbers — interpreted
Rakuten out-hit Uni Lions 9-8 but the Lions' two errors proved costly, particularly Su Chih-Chieh's misplay in left field that opened the door for two unearned runs in the seventh. Rakuten drew four walks to Uni Lions' two. Balazovic entered with a 1.67 ERA but allowed four earned runs in his shortest start of the season. Lin Tzu-Wei (pitcher) laboured through 95 pitches in five innings but held the Lions to 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
What it means
Rakuten (16-14-0) gained ground in the second-half standings, pulling closer to the league lead after breaking a stretch of offensive futility. Uni Lions (17-18-0) slipped below .500 and lost ground in the playoff race. Rakuten's offence found its rhythm at a critical point in the season, and Lin Tzu-Wei continues to stabilise the rotation with his fourth straight win. For the Lions, Balazovic's early exit raises questions about pitching depth down the stretch.
Verdict
Rakuten's bats finally woke after a record scoreless drought, and the timing — against a division rival at Taipei Dome — could provide momentum for a late-season push. Lin Tzu-Wei is emerging as the rotation's anchor. The Lions, meanwhile, need their ace to go deeper into games if they hope to stay in contention.
Rivalry since 2024
Rakuten Monkeys vs Uni Lions Head to Head Results· 50
Rakuten Monkeys and Uni Lions have met 50 times — Rakuten Monkeys won 23, Uni Lions won 27, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. Uni Lions leads the head-to-head with 27 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 343 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.86 per match (174 for the home side, 169 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 37 matches (74%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 46 games (92%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 17–1 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 30 Aug 2026