Chan Tzu-hsien lined a two-out single in the 11th inning Wednesday to give the CTBC Brothers a 5-4 win over the Wei Chuan Dragons at Taipei Dome, trimming the Dragons' Taiwan Series lead to 3-1 and forcing a Game Five on Friday night.
How the Brothers survived
Wei Chuan scored four times in the fifth to erase an early 2-0 deficit, but the Brothers bullpen threw 6 2/3 shutout innings after starter Cheng Hao-chun exited. Mario Sanchez and Felix Pena, both earlier starters in the series, combined for scoreless relief in a move manager Peng Cheng-min said was "all hands on deck."
Chan, hitless in his first four at-bats, drove in Tseng Sung-en from first after a walk and two outs. The hit made him the game's MVP and gave CTBC its first multi-run game of the series after three low-scoring losses.
Dragons still one win away
Wei Chuan needs one more victory to claim its sixth title; no CPBL team has ever rallied from 3-0 down. Dragons manager Tsai Hsuan-chih said he will likely turn back to John Gant, who threw eight shutout innings in Game One, while the Brothers have not announced a starter.
Attendance stayed above 38,000 despite Typhoon Champi warnings, and dome operators said Friday's roof procedures will follow city typhoon rules even though the game is indoors.
What Game Five demands
Stat sheets show the Brothers' offense woke up: five runs matched their total from Games One through Three combined. Dragons hitters still lead the series in extra-base hits, but late-inning execution tilted Wednesday.
Friday's first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. If the Brothers win, the series returns Saturday with Wei Chuan still holding two chances to close. For now, Chan's single bought another bus ride to the dome—and another night where Taipei baseball fans can postpone typhoon anxiety for nine more innings.
Pitching matchups and bullpen depth
Brothers coaches said they may keep Sanchez available in relief even if he does not start, citing his four-inning zero line Wednesday. Dragons hitters have struck out 11 times against Brothers relievers since Game Two, a trend Tsai wants to break with contact drills Thursday.
Ticket sales for Friday topped 36,000 within an hour of Wednesday's walk-off, and merchandise stands will open early for fans trading Chan bobbleheads.