The Rakuten Monkeys rallied for a 7–6 win over the Uni-President Lions before 18,000 fans at Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium, pulling the CPBL first-round playoff series to 1–1 after the Lions took opening night in Kaohsiung.
Lions manager Lin Yi-hsiung started the club’s ace on short rest, but the Monkeys tagged him for four runs across five innings. Taoyuan’s offense added three more against the bullpen, including a two-run double in the seventh that proved decisive when Lions slugger Lin Tzu-wei launched a late homer that still left his team a run short.
Series format pressure
Because the Lions won the first-half title, they entered the best-of-five with a 1–0 lead and three home games in Kaohsiung. Game Two’s road victory therefore carried extra weight: the Monkeys can now host the lone Taoyuan date with a chance to seize momentum before the series returns south. A Lions win in Game Three would force Rakuten to win both remaining contests.
Pitching moves ahead of Game Three
Monkeys skipper Tseng Hao-wei said postgame he would open Game Three with a left-handed starter to neutralize Lions’ right-heavy lineup. Lions officials hinted they might bypass the scheduled starter if rain threatens Chengcing Lake, though forecasts showed only light showers.
Fans and holiday traffic
Double Ten highway traffic thinned by late afternoon, helping northern fans reach Taoyuan in time for first pitch. Merchandise booths reported strong sales of playoff towels printed in English and Chinese. For sports desks, the narrative is classic CPBL postseason math: a half-game head start for the half-season champion, and a Monkeys club that must steal road games to reach the Taiwan Series awaiting CTBC Brothers.
Broadcast and ratings
CPBL’s streaming partner said Game Two concurrent viewers peaked above last year’s first-round average, helped by holiday audiences checking scores between fireworks events. Radio call-in shows debated whether the Lions should have pulled the starter one batter earlier; analytics staff noted his pitch count crossed ninety before the sixth inning.
Analysts and officials cautioned that holiday-thinned staffing can delay public updates until the regular workweek resumes, so readers should watch for revised figures when ministries publish Monday bulletins.
County and city agencies said they would post updated timelines on official websites after the long weekend, and urged residents to rely on verified hotlines rather than forwarded chat messages when planning travel or payments.