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SoftBank Hawks Sweep Nippon-Ham Fighters, Reach Japan Series

 Yuri Karasawa  |    Oct 18th, 2024 12:00pm EDT

TOKYO, Japan – The SoftBank Hawks took care of business against the Nippon-Ham Fighters, sweeping the series 4-0 with an automatic one-game advantage and three more wins on the field to secure the Pacific League title. They will compete in the Japan Series for the first time since 2020.

Game 1

Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo didn’t deploy ace Hiromi Itoh in the opening round in the hopes of him winning a crucial Game 1 against SoftBank, and this was Itoh’s chance to deliver on those wishes.

Tomoya Masaki started the action with an RBI single in the 2nd to put the Hawks in front. After two-way player Kota Yazawa’s infield single tied the game, the Fighters had a prime opportunity to take the lead in the 3rd with runners on the corners.

Go Matsumoto thought he had put Nippon-Ham in front on a well-hit ball up the middle, but second baseman Hikaru Kawase flashed the leather with a superb diving stop, starting an inning-ending double play to keep the score tied.

Itoh brought his best stuff, topping at 96 mph, but the stacked SoftBank lineup proved too strong. The Hawks scored against the Hokkaido native in four consecutive innings, with an RBI double by Hotaka Yamakawa in the third and home runs by Kenta Imamiya and Ryoya Kurihara in the fourth and fifth innings.

Itoh finished his day with nine strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings, but it was a mere consolation prize as he allowed ten hits and four earned runs.

Meanwhile, Hawks starter Kohei Arihara had an efficient 81-pitch outing, striking out eight over seven innings. Franmil Reyes took him deep in the 7th to make it a 4-2 ballgame, but the Hawks got it right back with NPB home run king Hotaka Yamakawa’s solo shot in the 8th.

Darwinzon Hernandez and Roberto Osuna combined for four strikeouts in the final two frames, and the latter registered the save.

Game 2

The Fighters got off to a strong start with back-to-back two-baggers by Chusei Mannami and Kotaro Kiyomiya against PL ERA title winner Livan Moinelo, but the Hawks weren’t behind for long. Hotaka Yamakawa drove home Jeter Downs in the bottom of the 1st to draw even, and a banged-up Kensuke Kondoh, who has been reduced to DH duties this series, cranked a two-run shot to make it 3-1.

Nippon-Ham got one back in the 2nd on a Go Matsumoto sacrifice fly, but SoftBank responded again as Ukyo Shuto brought Tomoya Masaki home on a sac fly to make it 4-2. That was it for Fighters starter Takayuki Katoh’s night, who recorded just five outs while throwing on short rest.

The Fighters had multiple chances to get back in the game against Moinelo but failed to capitalize. In the 5th, Franmil Reyes grounded out to shortstop with the bases loaded. In the next inning, they put runners on second and third with just one out, but Yua Tamiya lined out, and Matsumoto popped out to end the threat.

While Nippon-Ham struggled, SoftBank continued to add on, as Hotaka Yamakawa homered in the 5th, Yuki Yanagita drew a bases-loaded walk in the 6th, and Yamakawa went deep for the second time in the 7th to put the game out of reach.

SoftBank prevailed 7-2, flexing their muscles with three homers for the second straight night and inching closer to the Japan Series.

Game 3

Needing a reverse sweep to keep their season alive, Nippon-Ham handed the ball to southpaw Sachiya Yamasaki, who had a clutch relief outing against the Marines on Sunday.

However, the Hawks weren’t interested in prolonging the series. They quickly put up two runs in the first on a Jeter Downs single and back-to-back RBI doubles by Hotaka Yamakawa and Kensuke Kondoh.

Breakout sensation Carter Stewart Jr. took the hill for SoftBank. The Fighters cut the lead in half in the 3rd on a surprise long ball by veteran catcher Torai Fushimi, who had zero homers in the regular season, and tied it as Chusei Mannami lined an RBI single on a 3-0 count later in the inning.

In the 4th, a costly error by third baseman Kotaro Kiyomiya allowed Ukyo Shuto to come up with runners on the corners and two outs. He proceeded to go the other way for an RBI single, putting SoftBank back in front and knocking Yamasaki out of the game. That was all they needed to seal the deal.

Stewart completed five innings, and a relief relay of Shuto Ogata, Kazuki Sugiyama, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Roberto Osuna held the Fighters to just one hit over the final four frames. Fushimi flew out to Shuto in center field for the last out.

All five Hawks pitchers in this game threw at least one pitch at 96+ mph, showcasing the team’s deep staff full of hard-throwers.

Yamakawa was named series MVP for his three-homer performance. The Hawks await the winner of the Central League Climax Series Final Stage between the DeNA BayStars and Yomiuri Giants (DeNA leads 3-1).

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

Photo Credit: Kensuke Kondo of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks hits a triple in the 2nd inning against Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Mizuho PayPay Dome on May 1, 2024 in Fukuoka, Japan. (Photo by Sports Nippon/Getty Images)

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Yuri Karasawa
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