2004 Taiwan Series

The 2004 Taiwan Series was the first Taiwan Series won by the Sinon Bulls.

The Bulls had gone 25-22-3 in the 2004 CPBL regular season then won the second half at 27-21-2 under manager Rong-Hua Liu. They had two players make the Best Ten: 2B Chung-Yi Huang (.312/.397/.455) and 3B Tai-Shan Chang (.337/.406/.550, a league-leading 21 homers and 94 RBI). Chao-Hang Cheng (.279/.323/.406) stole a league-best 31 bases. The staff was led by Chien-Fu Yang (15-6, Sv, 1.77) and included Chi-Hsien Ho (6-4, 3 Sv, 3.32), Osvaldo Martínez (12-5, 12 Sv, 3.40) and Yung-Chih Kuo (7-9, 3.40).

The Uni-President Lions won the first half at 28-18-4 and came close in the second (26-22-2), while being managed by Chang-Heng Hsieh. They were led by CPBL MVP Mike Garcia (7-1, 0.71, a league-leading 26 Sv). Chih-Wei Shih (.293/.372/.384, 19 SB) was Rookie of the Year while SS Sen Yang (.293/.372/.384) and DH Min-Ching Lo (.291/.367/.448) made the Best Ten. Lien-Hung Chen hit .302/.364/.420. Wei-Lun Pan (12-8, 2.14) and Jose Alberro (8-11, 3.05) were the top starting pitchers.

Games

Game 1

November 6 at Cheng Ching Lake Baseball Stadium (20,000)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Sinon Bulls	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	4	10	3
Uni-President Lions	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	3	2

Bulls: Chien-Fu Yang (W, 1-0) - Jeff Andra (S, 1)

Lions: Jose Alberro (L, 0-1) - Chun-Yang Tsao - Lung-Wei Kao

The Series began November 6 with a 4-1 Bulls win, Yang tossing a gem as the Lions were held to three hits. Yang got the win over Alberro while Jeff Andra notched a save. Chien-Ming Chang drove in the game-winner.

Game 2

November 7 at Tainan Baseball Field (11,000)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Sinon Bulls	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	13	0
Uni-President Lions	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0

Bulls: Osvaldo Martínez (W, 1-0) - Jeff Andra (S, 2)

Lions: Wei-Lun Pan (L, 0-1) - Lung-Wei Kao - Yang-Kai Chen - Mike Garcia

The next day, the Bulls won a 3-1 decision, Martínez outdueling Pan while Andra saved it. Tai-Shan Chang got the game-winning RBI.

Game 3

November 9 at Taichung Baseball Field (9,500)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Uni-President Lions	4	1	2	4	0	0	0	3	0	14	12	2
Sinon Bulls	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	5	7	0

Lions Don Lemon (W, 1-0) - Chun-Yang Tsao - Lung-Wei Kao - Yang-Kai Chen - Yi-Cheng Tseng - Chih-Chiang Chang

Bulls:: Yung-Chih Kuo (L, 0-1) - Wen-Bin Yu - Jen-Ming Yang - Chi-Hsien Ho - Mel Rojas

Home Run Kuo-Ching Kao (1), Min-Ching Lo (1), Chien-Ming Chang (1), Chung-Yi Huang (1)

The Lions won their first with a 14-5 victory, Don Lemon beating Kuo. Lo drove in the winner; Lo and Kuo-Ching Kao homered for Sinon while Chien-Ming Chang and Huang went deep for the Bulls.

Game 4

November 10 at XinZhuang Baseball Stadium (10,500)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Uni-President Lions	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	7	0
Sinon Bulls	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	2

Lions Jose Alberro (W, 1-0) - Mike Garcia (S, 1)

Bulls:: Chien-Fu Yang (L, 1-1) - Jeff Andra - Chi-Hsien Ho - Mel Rojas

The Lions tied the Series with a 3-1 win as Alberro beat Yang in a reversal of game 1, Garcia getting the save.

Game 5

November 11 at XinZhuang Baseball Stadium (10,500)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Uni-President Lions	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	4	8	1
Sinon Bulls	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	1

Lions Wei-Lun Pan - Mike Garcia (W, 1-0)

Bulls:: Osvaldo Martínez - Mel Rojas - Jeff Andra (L, 0-1) - Chi-Hsien Ho

Home Run Chao-Hang Cheng (1)

The Lions took a 3-2 Series lead on the 11th as Garcia beat Andra in a 4-2 decision. Chao-Hang Cheng homered for the Bulls.

Game 6

November 13 at Tainan Baseball Field (11,000)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Sinon Bulls	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	8	1
Uni-President Lions	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	5	1

Bulls: Chi-Hsien Ho (W, 1-0) - Chien-Fu Yang - Jeff Andra (S, 3)

Lions: Don Lemon (L, 1-1) - Chun-Yang Tsao - Yang-Kai Chen - Mike Garcia

Home Run Hung-Yuan Lin (1)

Sinon stayed alive on November 13 with a 3-2 win, as Ho got the win, Lemon the loss and Andra his third save. Chun-Chang Yeh drove in the winner, while homered for the Lions.

Game 7

November 14 at Tainan Baseball Field (11,000)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Sinon Bulls	2	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	2	8	11	0
Uni-President Lions	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	6	7	5

Bulls: Mel Rojas - Yung-Chih Kuo - Jeff Andra - Chien-Fu Yang (W, 2-1)

Lions: Jose Alberro - Wei-Lun Pan - Chun-Yang Tsao - Mike Garcia (L, 1-1) - Don Lemon

Home Run Kuo-Ching Kao (2)

On the 14th, the Bulls beat the Lions 8-6. Yang got the win (and would be named Taiwan Series MVP) and Garcia took the loss. Chia-Hao Chang drove home the winner while Kao went deep in a losing cause. The Lions were plagued by five errors to give the Series a record 17 (the mark would be broke in 2009).

Source: 2004 Taiwan Series