TOKYO, Japan – The SoftBank Hawks took care of business on the road to go up 2-0 against the underdog DeNA BayStars in the 2024 Japan Series. DeNA put up a good fight in both games after falling behind early but could not pull through in the end.
The series now shifts to Fukuoka, where the Hawks only need to take two of three to clinch the title. They have a strong 52-21 record at home this year, including the postseason. The mighty Hawks have now won 14 consecutive Japan Series games dating back to 2018.
Game 1: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 5 – Yokohama DeNA BayStars 3
The DeNA #BayStars made a game out of it in the 9th, but Kohei Arihara got the job done on both sides of the ball, and the SoftBank #Hawks took Game 1 on the road to open the 2024 Japan Series. pic.twitter.com/q7SIdtyndP
— SportsLook (@SportsLookJP) October 26, 2024
Andre Jackson took the hill for DeNA, while Kohei Arihara got the ball for SoftBank. Jackson walked Yuki Yanagita to lead off the game, but he was not able to do any damage as he was caught stealing later in the inning. Keita Sano got the first hit of the Japan Series with a single in the bottom of the first, but the BayStars couldn’t make anything of it.
SoftBank takes the lead in the 2nd on a 2-run single by pitcher Kohei Arihara
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 26, 2024
In the second, a two-out double by Taisei Makihara put runners on second and third, and DeNA intentionally walked Takuya Kai to load the bases for pitcher Kohei Arihara. Arihara, who only had six plate appearances over the past two years, proved that even Pacific League pitchers can hit as he came through with a two-run single to right field. Those were the first two RBIs of his entire ten-year professional career.
Jackson struck out five straight Hawk batters between the second and the fourth, tying a Nippon Series record. He finished his night with a season-high nine punchouts across 4.2 frames. Meanwhile, Arihara kept the BayStars hitters off balance all night with a heavy dose of cutters, tossing seven shutout frames with four strikeouts.
Arihara had another opportunity for a moment at the plate after two runners got on in the 6th, but he was not able to replicate his second inning at-bat and bounced out to second. The DeNA bullpen did a good job keeping the game close until the ninth, but the Hawks finally got their insurance runs against Hayato Horioka as Kenta Imamiya smashed a two-run double and Ryoya Kurihara hit an RBI single to make it 5-0.
Ukyo Shuto sliding into home right behind Kawamura, just like with Ohtani in the WBC 💀
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 26, 2024
Tyler Austin led off the bottom of the ninth with a double off Roberto Osuna, and Kouki Kajiwara, Keito Mori, and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo hit three straight singles to make it 5-2. Osuna then threw the ball away to first on a potential game-ending play off the bat of Masayuki Kuwahara to make it. 5-3.
The BayStars had rallied and got the winning run to the plate in the form of captain Shugo Maki, but he flew out to center to end the game. DeNA made SoftBank sweat, but it wasn’t enough to get their first win of the series.
Kohei Arihara became the first NPB player since 1986 to be the winning pitcher and have the eventual game-winning hit in a Japan Series game.
Game 2 – Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 6 – Yokohama DeNA BayStars 3
The SoftBank #Hawks win their 14th consecutive game in the Japan Series and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series against the DeNA #BayStars. pic.twitter.com/yJOz46ehew
— SportsLook (@SportsLookJP) October 27, 2024
In rainy Yokohama on election night in Japan, DeNA sent out hometown starter Shinichi Ohnuki in the hopes of tying the series against PL ERA title winner Livan Moinelo.
Hotaka Yamakawa puts SoftBank up early with a 2-run shot
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 27, 2024
Unfortunately for the BayStars, he failed to get out of the third inning. NPB home run king Hotaka Yamakawa tagged him with a two-run homer in the first, and Taisei Makihara’s two-run single in the third ended the right-hander’s night. He allowed seven hits and four earned runs.
Taisei Makihara makes it 4-0 with a bases loaded single
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 27, 2024
Takuya Kai hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Chihaya Sasaki to make it 5-0. SoftBank added a sixth run in the fourth inning after Ukyo Shuto doubled and Yamakawa smashed an RBI single into left field off the glove of shortstop Keito Mori.
The BayStars, who didn’t record a hit against Moinelo until the fourth inning, finally got the bats activated in the fifth on four straight hits by Mori, Shion Matsuo, Masayuki Kuwahara, and Kouki Kajiwara to put two runs on the board.
DeNA got even closer in the seventh when Kuwahara and Kajiwara got back-to-back hits to chase Moinelo from the game. Shugo Maki doubled off Shuto Ogata to make it 6-3, with the tying run coming up to the dish in the form of Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who was playing for an injured Tyler Austin (bruised toe from Game One). He grounded out to shortstop Kenta Imamiya to end the frame.
Shugo Maki ropes an RBI double to get DeNA within 3 runs in the 7th
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 27, 2024
That was the final chance the BayStars were afforded. Darwinzon Hernandez dominated in the eighth with a scoreless inning, and Roberto Osuna didn’t make the same mistakes as in Game One as he tossed a clean ninth to record the save.
Fans will be able to watch the Nippon Series on Japan’s TBS and Fuji TV. TVer, a free video-on-demand service, enables Japanese television to be streamed online, though a VPN will be required for foreign viewers. Games three, four, and six will start at 5:30 EST while Games five and seven will begin at 5:00 EST.
Follow along for Japan Series coverage here at the World Baseball Network.
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WBN Japan: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo Credit: NAGOYA, JAPAN – SEPTEMBER 18: A general view is seen of Nagoya Dome. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)
