2023 Taiwan Series G3: Monkeys 7 – Dragons 4

On November 7, the Rakuten Monkeys defeated the Wei Chuan Dragons 7-4 in Game 3 of the Taiwan Series with Yen Hung-Chun’s clutch go-ahead single. With the win, the Monkeys now have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

The Wei Chuan Dragons drew first blood in the opening inning when their slugger, Giljegiljaw Kungkuan, smoked the first pitch he saw to the opposite field for a solo shot.

Not satisfied with only a slim one-run lead, the Dragons added another run, making it 2-0 in the second inning with singles from Lin Xiao-Cheng and Chang Cheng-Yu.

In the bottom of the third, the Monkeys answered with a leadoff walk by Yen Hung-Chun, followed by a single from Chen Chen-Wei and Lin Li’s bunt single, loading the bases with no outs.

The Monkeys then scored their first run of the game on Drew Gagnon’s wild pitch. Shortly after, Chen Chun-Hsiu ripped a go-ahead double down the baseline to the warning track, clearing the bases and making it 3-2.

The Monkeys increased their lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning with Lin Li’s leadoff double, which he later advanced to third base on a wild pitch and came home on a sacrifice fly by Liang Chia-Jung.

In the top of the seventh, the Dragons showed their resilience and tied the score at 4-4 with five consecutive singles against the Monkeys’ bullpen.

As the bottom of the eighth inning approached, it seemed like Game 3 was headed for extra innings once again. However, the Monkeys’ catcher, Yen Hung-Chun, broke the tie with a go-ahead RBI single. Eventually, the Monkeys extended their lead to 7-4 with a walk, another base hit, and a successful squeeze bunt.

In the top of the ninth, the Dragons managed to get some offence going with runners on first and second with one out. But the Monkeys’ temporary closer, Jake Dahlberg, settled down and recorded the final two outs to nail down the victory.

G3 Post-Game Quotes from Players and Managers

“I want to thank the coaching staff for believing in me and not using a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth,” said the Monkeys’ Yen Hung-Chun, who delivered the crucial go-ahead single.

“He [Yen Hung-Chun] has been excellent as a catcher in this postseason, contributing defensively and providing stability to our pitching staff regarding game calling,” the Monkeys’ manager, Tseng Hao-Chu, told TSNA.

“Our batting performance was decent tonight. However, our pitching staff couldn’t hold on, allowing three runs in the third and the eighth inning,” said the Dragons’ manager, Yeh Chun-Chang. “I want our players to maintain a positive attitude and have confidence in themselves. Although we are down 2-1 in the series, we still have what it takes to win it all.”

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