The Rakuten Monkeys named pitcher Marcelo Martínez as their Game 1 starter for the Taiwan Series at Taipei Dome on Friday, setting up a rematch with the CTBC Brothers after Rakuten edged the Uni-President Lions in a five-game playoff last week.
Manager Tsai Hsuan-chieh said Martínez's sinker and ground-ball rate suit the dome's artificial turf, which can amplify late-inning rallies if relievers miss spots.
Playoff hangover
Rakuten clinched the pennant route with a tenth-inning rally in Kaohsiung, sending Lions fans home after a 3-0 ninth-inning lead evaporated. Martínez did not pitch that night, preserving him for the championship round.
The Brothers earned a direct berth by finishing atop the second-half standings. Their staff led the league in strikeouts during September, but Monkeys hitters feasted on fastballs during the regular-season head-to-head slate.
Roster moves
Both clubs activated additional foreign pitchers within CPBL limits, keeping bullpen arms fresh for potential doubleheaders if rain interrupts the dome schedule. Taipei city officials said roof operations will be tested Thursday morning to ensure drainage systems handle October humidity.
Ticket windows reported sellouts for the first two home games, pushing secondary-market prices higher than last year's championship. Monkeys marketing teams are staging fan zones outside the dome with VR batting cages sponsored by local telcos.
What to watch
Brothers manager Peng Cheng-min may counter with right-hander Nivaldo Rodríguez, who started Game 1 in the 2022 series sweep. Martínez faced Rodríguez once this season, yielding two runs over six innings in Taoyuan.
For baseball fans across Taiwan, Friday's first pitch caps a season that began with rule-tweak debates and ends under a roof that finally feels like a national-stage norm, not a novelty.
Local context
Sports bars near the dome booked private rooms for fan clubs traveling from Taoyuan and Kaohsiung, expecting extra-inning games if bullpens tire.
Officials said they will publish another update after the Double Ten holiday, when agencies return to normal staffing and contractors can resume noisy work without conflicting with downtown ceremonies. Residents can sign up for text alerts through city portals if they want construction or traffic notices pushed to their phones.
Local context
Analysts and community groups said they will watch whether follow-up announcements match the timelines described in Tuesday briefings.
Officials said they will publish another update after the Double Ten holiday, when agencies return to normal staffing and contractors can resume noisy work without conflicting with downtown ceremonies. Residents can sign up for text alerts through city portals if they want construction or traffic notices pushed to their phones.