The Rakuten Monkeys have been put on the back foot in their Mount Tianwang series, and their pre-game adjustments have drawn attention, making this a high-pressure game for the team.

• Rakuten have scored just 4 runs in the first two games, with a sluggish lineup, and the second-half top spot has already been taken by the Wei Chuan Dragons.
• Before today's game they did not schedule any outdoor batting practice, and the assembly time was also pushed back, giving the players more rest and greater freedom to prepare.
• Head coach Tseng Hao-chu explained that because the game was starting earlier, he deliberately had the players arrive at the ballpark later.
• The two teams are currently 1.5 games apart, and Rakuten must halt their two-game losing streak in order to narrow the gap to 0.5 games.
• The Wei Chuan Dragons are on a 4-game winning streak, leading Fubon by more than 10 games for the full-season top spot, and their momentum is running high.

Outlook: This final game is the key to whether Rakuten can hold onto their postseason competitiveness; a loss could let the Dragons stretch the gap and move even closer to clinching the title.