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DeNA BayStars Upset Yomiuri Giants, Will Meet SoftBank in Japan Series

 Yuri Karasawa  |    Oct 21st, 2024 1:53pm EDT

TOKYO, Japan — The Yomiuri Giants fought back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the series, but the DeNA BayStars continued their improbable postseason run and took down the regular season pennant winners in a tight six-game set (plus a ghost win for Yomiuri) that went down to the wire. They will play in the Japan Series for the first time since 2017 in a rematch with the mighty SoftBank Hawks.

Game 1

Before the game, it was announced that Giants star second baseman Naoki Yoshikawa would miss the entire series with an injury. Meanwhile, BayStars third baseman Toshiro Miyazaki, who was questionable after getting hurt in the previous series, made the roster.

DeNA starter Anthony Kay, who made eight starts against Yomiuri in the regular season, took a no-hitter into the 5th inning and finished his night with six shutout frames of one-hit ball. He issued four walks but kept the Giants bats quiet, striking out six.

The BayStars got out in front with a Keita Sano solo home run off Giants ace Shosei Togo in the 4th inning. Togo labored into the 7th inning, when base hits by Masayuki Kuwahara and Yasutaka Tobashira finally chased him from the game. Lefty specialist Yuhei Takanashi entered to take care of pinch-hitter Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, but he singled to make it 2-0.

The Giants had two hits off Yasuaki Yamasaki in the 7th, but southpaw Yuya Sakamoto got pinch-hitter Raito Nakayama to line out to third to kill the threat. With closer Kohei Morihara unavailable, DeNA manager Daisuke Miura had to get creative to finish the game.

Former Giant Hayato Horioka, who only threw six innings on the top team in the regular season, pitched a scoreless 8th, and Hiromu Ise, who didn’t have a single save in the regular season, shut down Yomiuri in order in the 9th.

Game 2

Presumptive CL MVP Tomoyuki Sugano was on the mound for the Giants. He cruised through the first four innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four. On the other side, Shinichi Ohnuki got the start for DeNA, shutting down the Yomiuri offense through five innings with seven strikeouts.

The BayStars drew first blood in the 5th as Toshiro Miyazaki doubled, Masayuki Kuwahara bunted him over to third, and Keito Mori hit an RBI single to make it 1-0. But the Giants finally answered with their first run of the series in the 6th on a Louis Okoye double and Kazuma Okamoto two-out RBI single to tie the game at one.

Sugano came back out for the 7th, but CL batting title winner Tyler Austin immediately took the momentum back for DeNA with a leadoff opposite-field home run to put the BayStars back in front. Ohnuki recorded two more outs in the 7th before walking Seiji Kobayashi, Sugano’s personal catcher, to end his line. Yuya Sakamoto entered the game for one batter, just as he did in Game 1, and struck out pinch-hitter Yuto Akihiro on three pitches to end the frame.

Hiromu Ise and Kohei Morihara threw a clean 8th and 9th for the BayStars, capping off a 2-1 victory for the underdogs.

Game 3

Kazuma Okamoto gave the Giants their first lead of the series with a solo blast in the 2nd. He came up again in the 3rd with runners on second and third and one out, but the BayStars intentionally walked him to load the bases.

Takumi Ohshiro smacked a hard grounder up the middle, but Shugo Maki made a spectacular diving play and started a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

That was a huge momentum-shifting play, as Tyler Austin led off the 4th with a game-tying shot off Foster Griffin. Then, in the 5th inning, Austin was at the plate with two outs and a runner on third when a wild pitch by Yuji Akahoshi gave DeNA the lead.

Rookie starter Teruki Yoshino threw three innings of one-run ball for DeNA before getting relieved by Chihaya Sasaki, who joined the team via the Active Player Draft (NPB’s Rule 5 equivalent ) last offseason.

He threw a scoreless inning and passed the baton to submariners Hayate Nakagawa and veteran Yasuaki Yamasaki, who each pitched two shutout innings.

The Giants had a golden opportunity to draw even in the 8th with a runner on second with one out, but Yoshihiro Maru flew out, Okamoto was intentionally walked again, and Ohshiro grounded out to end the threat.

The rest of the Yomiuri relievers did their jobs, keeping the score at 2-1. But closer Kohei Morihara slammed the door shut with two punchouts in the 9th, getting the BayStars a commanding 3-1 series lead in another low-scoring affair.

Game 4

With their backs against the wall, Yomiuri activated injured stars, Naoki Yoshikawa and Elier Hernandez. Yoshikawa was available off the bench while Hernandez was in the starting lineup.

The Giants went up 1-0 in the 4th on a Makoto Kadowaki walk, Yoshihiro Maru single, and a double play by Kazuma Okamoto.

23-year-old Haruto Inoue was tasked with saving Yomiuri’s season, and he set the tone beautifully with a perfect game into the 6th inning. Catcher Yasutaka Tobashira broke up the perfecto with a solo shot.

With the game knotted up at one, the Giants finally got their first big inning of the series in the 7th as Hayato Sakamoto and Raito Nakayama hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners against BayStars starter Andre Jackson.

Yukinori Kishida laid down a bunt and Sakamoto beat Jackson’s flip to the plate to put Yomiuri in front on a successful squeeze play. Submariner Hayate Nakagawa entered, and the Giants immediately pulled off a surprise double steal to put runners on second and third.

Veteran Hisayoshi Chono bounced one to Tyler Austin at first base, but his throw home went off line as the Giants plated two more runs on the error to go up 4-1. Lefty Alberto Baldonado pitched a scoreless 8th, and closer Taisei struck out the side for the second straight night in the 9th, securing Yomiuri their first on-field victory of the playoffs.

Game 5

DeNA starter Haruhiro Hamaguchi tossed four shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. But he clearly wasn’t in the circle of trust, as Daisuke Miura went to the pen in the 5th.

That’s when second baseman Raito Nakayama, still playing for a banged-up Naoki Yoshikawa, homered off veteran Yasuaki Yamasaki. It was the first NPB homer of his career, as he’s never gone deep in the regular season.

Meanwhile, Iori Yamasaki shut down the BayStars offense for six innings, keeping Yomiuri up 1-0. In the 7th, Masayuki Kuwahara hit a bloop into left field, but Rui Okoye misplayed the ball, giving him a triple and chasing Yamasaki from the game.

Lefty specialist Yuhei Takanashi entered with one out and got Keito Mori to hit a grounder to shortstop. With the infield playing in, Makoto Kadowaki quickly smothered the ball and made a strong throw to the plate to nab the runner.

DeNA tried to get back in scoring position, but Mori was caught stealing at second base, ending the frame with no damage done. The BayStars wasted another opportunity in the 8th when Yasutaka Tobashira led off with a single, but pinch-hitter Tatsuo Ebina bunted into a double play.

Closer Taisei entered for the third straight night in the 9th. He showed some signs of fatigue and wildness, having thrown 48 pitches over two days, drilling Keita Sano and walking Tyler Austin to put two runners on with one out. But he struck out Toshiro Miyazaki and got Yoshitomo Tsutsugo to fly out softly to center field to secure the save.

The Giants only recorded three hits, but it was enough to force a winner-take-all Game 6.

Game 6

 

It was a rematch between Shosei Togo and Anthony Kay, but neither starter made it past the 5th inning. The Giants went ahead in the 1st on a walk, bunt, and a throwing error by shortstop Keito Mori.

They added another run in the 4th as Hayato Sakamoto doubled and aggressively tagged up to third on a fly ball to left field. That brought up Togo, who dropped a beautiful bunt with two strikes to score Sakamoto on a safety squeeze.

DeNA responded in the 5th as Kouki Kajiwara singled, and Mori made up for his error with an RBI triple. Then, pinch-hitter Mike Ford tied it up with an RBI single. Later in the inning, Keita Sano hit one deep to right-center off reliever Yuhei Takanashi, but Elier Hernandez made a jumping catch at the wall.

Both teams continued to empty their bullpens in the late innings. After Kyle Keller pitched a scoreless 6th, Alberto Baldonado had a shaky 7th.

He walked two batters and allowed a single, which could have been much worse had shortstop Makoto Kadowaki not made a fantastic play to keep the ball on the infield. Hiromasa Funabasama relieved Baldonado and got Tyler Austin to ground out with the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, the Giants put runners on the corners with two outs, but Hiromu Ise struck out Elier Hernandez on a nicely framed pitch on the outside corner to end the threat.

In the 8th, the Giants brought in Tomoyuki Sugano, on short rest, and his personal catcher Seiji Kobayashi. It was Sugano’s first relief appearance since 2018, but he pitched a clean inning, striking out Kajiwara on a 94 mph fastball for the third out.

In the bottom frame, Yoniuri had another big opportunity with base hits by Sakamoto and Rui Okoye to put runners on first and second with one out. But manager Shinnosuke Abe decided to leave in Kobayashi and Soichiro Tateoka, two defensive substitutions, and they squandered the rally.

Sugano came back out for the 9th. Mori led off with a single, and Tatsuhiro Shibata bunted him over. Masayuki Kuwahara grounded out to third baseman Sakamoto, but Mori successfully ran to third with some very aggressive base running.

Then, with two outs, captain Shugo Maki brought Mori home with an RBI single past the diving reach of Sakamoto. While Maki screamed in jubilation, it was a bitter finish to the NPB career of Sugano, who is expected to sign with an MLB team this offseason.

Up 3-2, closer Kohei Morihara got through the Giants’ best hitters, Yoshihiro Maru and Kazuma Okamoto, to end it.

After a hard-fought series, DeNA celebrated taking down the pennant-winners, adding another chapter to their Cinderella story. Yasutaka Tobashira was named series MVP.

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WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/

Photo Credit: Shugo Maki of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars hits a single in the 8th inning against Hiroshima Carp at Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium Hiroshima on April 16, 2024 in Hiroshima, Japan. (Photo by Sports Nippon/Getty Images)

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Yuri Karasawa
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