Uni-Lions edge Brothers 1-0 to stay alive in Taiwan baseball playoffs

統一獅以1比0擊敗中信兄弟 延續總冠軍賽戰線

Shortstop Chen Sheng-ping (陳聖平) played a key role on both sides of the ball, making important defensive plays before sparking the Lions’ decisive fifth-inning rally with a single and scoring the game’s only run. The game at Tainan Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium drew a sellout crowd of 23,500, setting a single-game attendance record for the playoff challenge series, per CNA.

The Lions entered the game facing elimination after losing Friday’s opener 4-1. The Brothers, who earned a one-win advantage by winning the second-half championship, had taken a 2-0 lead in the series under the league’s postseason format.

Saturday’s victory extended the series to a third game. The teams are scheduled to meet Sunday at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, the Brothers’ home field.

The game was tense from the opening inning, with Lions starting pitcher Jordan Balazovic escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first without allowing a run. Balazovic settled in after the shaky start, holding the Brothers scoreless through six innings. He threw 107 pitches, allowing five hits, striking out five, and walking three to earn the win and the game’s MVP award, per CNA.

Chen helped preserve the shutout with his defensive work at shortstop. In the bottom of the fifth, he singled, advanced to second, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Chiu Chih-cheng (邱智呈) after an infield hit by Lin Hung-hsien (林泓弦).

The Lions’ bullpen protected the narrow lead, with Jackson Stephens (獅帝芬) pitching two scoreless innings before Chung Yun-hua (鍾允華) closed out the game.

Uni-Lions captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) also made history during the game. After collecting two hits in Friday’s opener to reach 20 career postseason challenge-series hits and tie former Lions player Kao Kuo-ching (高國慶), Chen recorded another single Saturday to set a new challenge-series hits record, according to CNA.

Lin Chia-wei (林佳緯), who entered as a substitute, extended his postseason challenge-series hitting streak to nine games with a single in the eighth inning. The Uni-Lions once again face a must-win game to advance to the Taiwan Series against regular-season champions the Wei Chuan Dragons.