Liu Chia-hsiang Earns First Career Win with 5 Strong Innings, Thanks Teammates for Support

(CNA, Taipei, 22nd) Rakuten Monkeys' 22-year-old young pitcher Liu Chia-hsiang made his season debut today, starting 5 innings and allowing only 1 unearned run to suppress the Fubon Guardians. He helped his team win 4-2 and earned his first career victory in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), thanking his teammates for their run support after the game.

Liu Chia-hsiang's previous three appearances in the first team were all starts, with his only outing lasting 5 innings occurring on May 4, 2025, when he allowed 1 run in a no-decision. Today, history did not repeat itself.

Liu started the game by retiring the first six batters. Although he faced a bases-loaded situation in the 3rd inning due to two hits and a teammate's error, he minimized the damage to only 1 run through a double play and a flyout. In the 4th and 5th innings, Liu allowed only one more hit.

Liu retired after 5 innings with 51 pitches, allowing 3 hits with 2 strikeouts and 1 unearned run. With his teammates providing 4 runs in the first five innings, he secured his first career win.

Standing on the MVP stage after the game, Liu expressed in an interview that winning his first game felt surreal. "I want to thank my teammates for scoring those runs for me." Faced with the bases-loaded situation, he focused on throwing the ball to the catcher's target. "I hope I can maintain this stability in every game," he said. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150422