Li Hsun-Chieh's First Pinch-Hit Homer, Two-Homer Game Helps Monkeys Defeat Guardians
Rakuten Monkeys' 21-year-old player, Li Hsun-Chieh, hit his first career pinch-hit home run and added a second homer in the same game. His 4 RBIs led the team to a 6-1 victory, earning him the MVP award.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 22:48
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 23:02 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 01:17 (2h 15m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 21st, by reporter Hsieh Ching-wen) Rakuten Monkeys' 21-year-old fielder Li Hsun-Chieh hit his first career CPBL pinch-hit home run today and his first multi-homer game, hitting home runs in consecutive at-bats. He contributed 4 RBIs, helping the Monkeys defeat the Fubon Guardians 6-1 and was named the game's MVP.
The Monkeys hosted the Guardians at Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium. The Guardians scored first in the top of the 1st inning. The Monkeys were scoreless through the first 6 innings. In the bottom of the 7th, Ma Chieh-Sen led off with a single, followed by a double to left field by Liu Tzu-Chieh. Li Hsun-Chieh then came in as a pinch-hitter and hit a 3-run homer, putting the team ahead. The Monkeys added more runs with a combination of hits, an error, a stolen base, and consecutive hits by Chen Chen-Wei and Lin Hung-Yu, scoring 5 runs in the inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, Li hit a solo homer to add an insurance run, becoming the hero of the team's victory. In his MVP interview, Li said that he didn't think too much during the pinch-hit home run at-bat, just went up and did what he was supposed to do, which was to hit the ball.
As for hitting a solo homer on the first pitch in the 8th inning, Li said that since the team was leading and there were no runners on base, his thinking was simple: just make contact and good things could happen.
Regarding how he maintains his feel for the game without starting every day, Li said he does the same things every day, and when the opportunity comes, he tries to apply his usual practice and preparation on the field.
Monkeys fielder Liu Tzu-Chieh also made his CPBL debut, starting at third base and batting 7th. His double in the 7th inning was his first career hit in the CPBL, going 1-for-4 in the game.
Monkeys' starting foreign pitcher Kyle Marman pitched 7 innings, throwing 87 pitches. He allowed only 2 hits, struck out 6, walked 1, and gave up 1 earned run, earning his second win of the season with a quality start. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150421
The Monkeys hosted the Guardians at Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium. The Guardians scored first in the top of the 1st inning. The Monkeys were scoreless through the first 6 innings. In the bottom of the 7th, Ma Chieh-Sen led off with a single, followed by a double to left field by Liu Tzu-Chieh. Li Hsun-Chieh then came in as a pinch-hitter and hit a 3-run homer, putting the team ahead. The Monkeys added more runs with a combination of hits, an error, a stolen base, and consecutive hits by Chen Chen-Wei and Lin Hung-Yu, scoring 5 runs in the inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, Li hit a solo homer to add an insurance run, becoming the hero of the team's victory. In his MVP interview, Li said that he didn't think too much during the pinch-hit home run at-bat, just went up and did what he was supposed to do, which was to hit the ball.
As for hitting a solo homer on the first pitch in the 8th inning, Li said that since the team was leading and there were no runners on base, his thinking was simple: just make contact and good things could happen.
Regarding how he maintains his feel for the game without starting every day, Li said he does the same things every day, and when the opportunity comes, he tries to apply his usual practice and preparation on the field.
Monkeys fielder Liu Tzu-Chieh also made his CPBL debut, starting at third base and batting 7th. His double in the 7th inning was his first career hit in the CPBL, going 1-for-4 in the game.
Monkeys' starting foreign pitcher Kyle Marman pitched 7 innings, throwing 87 pitches. He allowed only 2 hits, struck out 6, walked 1, and gave up 1 earned run, earning his second win of the season with a quality start. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150421