2022 Taiwan Series

The 2022 Taiwan Series featured the Rakuten Monkeys against the Chinatrust Brothers. Rakuten was in their first Taiwan Series, though the franchise had been dominant in the 2010s as the Lamigo Monkeys. The Brothers were the defending champions, having won the 2021 Taiwan Series. The Brothers swept their way to a title.

Teams

Chinatrust Brothers

The Brothers were second in the first half of the 2022 CPBL season at 32-26-2 and first in the second half (37-21-2) under manager Wei-Chu Lin. They led the league with 556 runs and were a close second for fewest with 450 runs allowed. RF Tzu-Hao Chen (.285/.388/.445), SS Kun-Yu Chiang (.318/.392/.416) and 1B Chi-Hung Hsu (.287/.399/.407) led the offense. José De Paula, defending two-time MVP, was 14-4 with a 2.44 ERA to lead the league in wins. Kai-Wen Cheng (8-3, 2.32) was about as good. Shawn Morimando (7-5, 2.56) had done well before leaving for Korea and Che-Yuan Wu had a 11-1, 2.85 record. The bullpen was anchored by Yen-Ching Lu (1-2, 20 Sv, 1.98)

Rakuten Monkeys

The Monkeys had the best record in the regular season, going 37-22-1 to win the first half then finishing 33-24-3 and second in the second half. Managed by Hao-Ju Tseng, they were a close second in offense (554 R) and led in fewest runs allowed (448), being close to the Brothers in both categories. 2B Li Lin (.335/.391/.517) was the league's dominant hitter, pacing the circuit in average, tying for first in homers and leading in RBI for a Triple Crown while CF Chen-Wei Chen hit .327/.380/.428 and led with 38 stolen bases. Tzu-Peng Huang (12-3, 2.33) led the league in ERA and Jen-Ho Tseng was nearly as good at 7-2, 2.48. Bradin Hagens (5-2, 36 Sv, 1.44) led the CPBL in saves and was joined in a strong bullpen by Yu-Hsun Chen (3-2, Sv, 1.77), Hung-Cheng Lai (1-1, 2.06) and Chun-Yang Hsu (2-1, 2.09).

Games

Game 1

November 5 at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium (14,132)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CTBC Brothers	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	10	1
Rakuten Monkeys	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	3	5	2

Brothers: Jose De Paula (W, 1-0) - Chi-Che Tsai (H, 1) - Yen-Ching Lu (S, 1)

Monkeys: Dylan Covey (L, 0-1) - Kuan-Yu Chen - Chun-Hsiang Chu - Yu-Hsun Chen

Home Runs Hung-Yu Lin 2 (2), Chun-Hsiu Chen (1)

The Brothers jumped on Dylan Covey for three first-inning runs as De Paula cruised (2 R in 7 IP) in a road win. C Hung-Yu Lin and 1B Chi-Hung Hsu went deep in a losing cause.

Game 2

November 6 at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium (11,392)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CTBC Brothers	0	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	4	8	0
Rakuten Monkeys	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	1

Brothers: Tyler Viza (W, 1-0) - Yen-Ching Lu (S, 2)

Monkeys: Jen-Ho Tseng (L, 0-1) - Chun-Yang Hsu - Kuan-Yu Chen - Chun-Hsiang Chu - Yu-Hsun Chen - Ricardo Pinto - Bradin Hagens

Home Runs Tzu-Hao Chen (1)

Chinatrust went up two games to zero as Tyler Viza allowed only one unearned run in eight innings while DH Tzu-Hao Chen hit a three-run homer off Jen-Ho Tseng.

Game 3

November 8 at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium (17,112)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Rakuten Monkeys	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	10	2
CTBC Brothers	1	1	0	1	4	0	0	0	X	7	12	2

Monkeys: Tzu-Peng Huang (L, 0-1) - Chun-Yang Hsu - Tzu-Wei Lin - Chun-Hsiang Chu - Hung-Cheng Lai

Brothers: Kai-Wen Cheng (W, 1-0) - Chi-Che Tsai - C.C. Lee

Kai-wen Cheng allows two run in seven while ERA king Tzu-Peng Huang is knocked out with six runs in under five innings. C Francisco Peña hits a three-run double in the 5th for the Brothers.

Game 4

November 9 at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium (20,000)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Rakuten Monkeys	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	5	3
CTBC Brothers	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	X	3	9	0

Monkeys: Yi-Cheng Wang (L, 0-1) - Kuan-Yu Chen - Jen-Ho Tseng - Chun-Hsiang Chu - Bradin Hagens

Brothers: Che-Yuan Wu (W, 1-0) - Yen-Ching Lu (S, 3)

Che-Yuan Wu and Yen-Ching Lu stifle the Monkeys' offense once again, Lu getting his third save of the Series. In the first, SS Chiang singled in CF Cheng-Hua Yueh, who won Series MVP. After DH Chien-Fu Liao homered to tie in the second, the Brothers came right back in the bottom of the inning as 2B Tung-Hua Yueh drove in 3B Wei-Chen Wang. They got their last run in the 5th when C Peña grounded in one more, insurance that held up.

Sources: Official CPBL site, Focus Taiwan, CPBLstats.com