Cheng Hao-chun Sends CTBC Brothers Into Taiwan Series

Cheng Hao-chun allowed one run over 5⅔ innings and the CTBC Brothers produced 16 hits to beat the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions 8-2 on Monday, October 12, advancing to the 2026 Taiwan Series.

The decisive victory at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium sent the Brothers through with a 3-2 playoff-series win. They will face the Wei Chuan Dragons in the championship round beginning October 17 at Taipei Dome—the first Dragons-Brothers matchup in Taiwan Series history.

Brothers turn a tight game into a rout

The game remained scoreless through three innings before Chan Tzu-Hsien doubled in the fourth and scored on Chiang Kun-Yu’s double to give CTBC the lead.

The Brothers broke the game open in the fifth. Three consecutive hits loaded the bases before the Lions’ bullpen lost the strike zone. Chen Chun-Hsiu, Chan and Sung Cheng-Jui each drew bases-loaded walks, pushing the margin to 4-0 without another ball being put in play.

Uni-President answered with one run in the sixth, but CTBC responded immediately. Chang Jen-Wei homered in the bottom half, and Chan added another solo shot in the seventh. The Brothers scored in five consecutive innings from the fourth through the eighth, finishing with 16 hits and no errors.

Chang went 2-for-5 with a home run, while Chan reached base four times, collecting two hits, two walks and his seventh-inning homer. Chang Shr-Lun and Chiang Kun-Yu each recorded three hits.

Cheng controls the elimination game

Cheng gave the Brothers the stability they needed after the Lions had won two straight games to force the winner-take-all finale. The right-hander scattered five hits, walked three and struck out two across 98 pitches. His only run allowed came in the sixth, and the outing earned him his first CPBL postseason victory and game MVP honors.

Lu Yen-Ching followed with 2⅓ scoreless innings before Lee Chen-Chang and Tsai Chi-Cheh finished the ninth.

The Lions used Brock Dykxhoorn on two days’ rest after his Game 1 start. He limited CTBC to one run over four innings, but the game changed as soon as Uni-President went to its bullpen. Kuo Chun-Lin faced four batters in the fifth without recording an out and was charged with three runs.

Historic Taiwan Series matchup awaits

The Brothers have now reached the Taiwan Series for a third consecutive season and the 18th time in franchise history. Their opponent, the Wei Chuan Dragons, qualified directly after finishing with the league’s best full-season record.

All games in the best-of-seven championship series are scheduled for Taipei Dome. Game 1 is set for Saturday, October 17.