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DeNA BayStars Sweep Hanshin Tigers, Beat Defending Champs

Yuri KarasawaOct 13, 20244 MIN READ
DeNA BayStars Sweep Hanshin Tigers, Beat Defending Champs

TOKYO, Japan – The DeNA BayStars pulled off an upset against the defending Japan Series champion Hanshin Tigers, sweeping them on the road in the first stage of NPB’s Central League playoffs. 

Game 1 

Both teams sent out their aces, with southpaw Katsuki Azuma on the bump for DeNA and Sawamura Award contender Hiroto Saiki getting the nod for Hanshin. The BayStars loaded the bases with one out in the 1st inning, but Saiki escaped the jam with two pop-ups. 

DeNA kept the pressure on, putting traffic on the bases in each of the first five innings and taking the lead in the 3rd on an RBI groundout by center fielder Masayuki Kuwahara. Saiki did well to hold DeNA to one run but struggled to get into a rhythm, allowing ten baserunners in just five innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. 

On the other side, Azuma was cruising but suffered a hamstring injury running the bases after getting a base hit in the top of the 4th. He came back out for the bottom of the inning and completed his fourth scoreless frame but had to exit the game prematurely with discomfort. 

Forced to turn to their bullpen much earlier than expected, Hanshin had an opportunity to pounce, but Yasuaki Yamasaki, Chihaya Sasaki, and Yuya Sakamoto picked up where Azuma left off and tossed three perfect frames. 

The BayStars delivered the killer blow in the 7th as superstar Shugo Maki doubled and Keita Sano singled off southpaw Takuma Kirishiki to put runners on the corners. Fireman Daichi Ishii entered to deal with CL batting title winner Tyler Austin, but he split the gap in right-center for a two-run double to make it 3-0. 

The Tigers got the tying run to the plate in the 8th with one out, but Hiromu Ise got Takumu Nakano to ground out and struck out Shota Morishita looking on a close pitch to end the threat. They rallied once again in the 9th, this time off closer Kohei Morihara, as shortstop Seiya Kinami lined an RBI single into left with two outs to put runners on the corners. 

With a chance to win the game, veteran pinch-hitter Fumihito Haraguchi went after the first pitch but flew out to left field on a hard-hit ball to end the game. 

Game 2 

Shota Morishita, who led the CL in OPS in the second half, got the Tigers on the board early with a solo shot off Andre Jackson in the 1st. But the BayStars immediately answered with four runs in the 2nd, courtesy of base hits by Toshiro Miyazaki, Keito Mori, Yasutaka Tobashira, and Shugo Maki. 

Displeased with the pitch-calling of catcher Ryutaro Umeno, Hanshin skipper Akinobu Okada subtitled him with backup Seishiro Sakamoto in the 3rd inning. Southpaw Haruto Takahashi settled in after that, but he had his worst start of the year after posting a 1.52 ERA in five regular season outings since returning from a prolonged injury. 

Jackson allowed four hits and four walks but dominated for 100 pitches across 5.2 innings, striking out nine batters, including Yusuke Ohyama in the 5th inning with two runners on. That was the last chance the Tigers had to get back into the series. 

Hanshin brought in reigning CL MVP Shoki Murakami in relief, but the BayStars broke the game open in the 7th as Mike Ford hit a loud pinch-hit homer, and Keita Sano smashed a three-run jack a few batters later. The BayStars went on to score two more runs in the inning to go up 10-1, though veteran third baseman Toshiro Miyazaki’s injury darkened the mood. 

The Tigers chipped away at the lead with an RBI single by Shota Morishita and a home run by Fumihito Haraguchi, but it was too little, too late. The defending champs saw their pitching fall apart at the worst possible moment, ending their season in demoralizing fashion. It also marked 66-year-old Okada’s final game as manager. The DeNA BayStars move on to the CL championship series to face the pennant-winning Yomiuri Giants. 

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WBN NPB: /news/category/japan

Photo Credit: Spectators watch the Yokohama DeNA BayStars vs Hanshin Tigers baseball game at the Yokohama Stadium, the Olympic baseball and softball venue, in Yokohama on November 1, 2020 after following safety measures against the Covid-19 coronavirus. (Photo by – / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by -/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

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