2024 1st Half Season Champions: Uni-Lions
On June 25, the Uni-Lions won the 2024 CPBL first half-season title by defeating the Rakuten Monkeys 11-4, securing the first ticket to the 2024 playoffs. This marks the Uni-Lions’ 17th half-season title in their franchise history since 1990.
“We ran into a bit of turbulence in June with the losing streak, but we united as a team, got the job done in the end, and won the half-season championship at home. I want to thank the players and everyone in the Uni-Lions organisation,” said Uni-Lions’ manager, Lin Yueh-Ping, after the game.
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-Te, who is a die-hard Uni-Lions supporter, left a message on Facebook wishing the team to win the Taiwan Series so he could personally congratulate them when they visit the Presidential Office.
Uni-Lions have won the 2024 #CPBL first half-season title, securing a spot in the playoffs. This is also the Uni-Lions’ 17th half-season title in their franchise history. pic.twitter.com/eJiUzFgDVM
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) June 26, 2024
Quick Game Recap: Uni-Lions 11-2 Rakuten Monkeys
The game originally started on May 28 but was suspended and rescheduled after the top of the second inning due to heavy rain. The score at that time was 0-0.
When the game resumed on June 25, the Rakuten Monkeys and Uni-Lions changed their starting pitchers to Suzuki Shunsuke and Logan Ondrusek, respectively.
The Monkeys quickly scored the first run in the top of the third inning with two hits and a fielding error. The Uni-Lions responded in the bottom of the fourth inning by drawing two walks and scoring the game-tying run on an error and the go-ahead run via a sacrifice fly by Pan Chieh-Kai, making it 2-1. The Monkeys tied the score again in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI single by Liao Chien-Fu.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Uni-Lions offence came alive. With a walk and four straight hits, they scored three runs to make it 5-2, knocking Suzuki Shunsuke out of the game early. The Monkeys’ nightmares continued as their reliever, Shu Chih-Hao, immediately issued two back-to-back walks and gave up a line-drive single to Chen Chung-Yu, extending the Uni-Lions’ lead to 8-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Uni-Lions plated another two runs, making it 10-2. Although the Monkeys narrowed the deficit to 10-4 with Liao Chien-Fu’s two-run home run in the seventh inning, it was far too late for them.
The Uni-Lions added an insurance run with Chen Chung-Ting’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, making it 11-4. In the bottom of the ninth, the Uni-Lions sent out their closer, Chen Yun-Wen, who quickly recorded the final three outs to secure the win.
The Uni-Lions’ slugger Su Chih-Chieh, who missed out the first two months of the season due to injury, went 4-for-5 and hit the game-winning RBI, was named the MVP after the game.
