The Kansai Series was concluded with both Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers advancing to the Japan Series.
Orix won 3-2 against Chiba Lotte Marines in Game 4 of the Climax Series Final Stage held at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Osaka, Japan on the 21st. Orix, who started the series with one win by winning the Pacific League championship (86 wins, 4 draws, 53 losses), recorded 4 wins and 1 loss with this victory and succeeded in advancing to the Japan Series for the third consecutive year.
Starting pitcher Hiroya Miyagi became the winning pitcher after pitching 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, and no runs. The bullpen team consisting of Shota Abe (1 inning, no runs), Yamazaki Soichiro (1 inning, 1 run), and Hirano Hirano (1 inning, 1 run) preserved the victory.
In the batting lineup, Tomoya Mori led the victory by going 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 home run, 2 RBI, 2 runs, and 1 walk, including a two-run home run in the final. Yutaro Sugimoto and Yuma Mune also added strength by hitting multiple hits.
Chiba Lotte’s starting pitcher, Atsuki Taneichi, became the losing pitcher after struggling with 2 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 2 runs in 3 innings. In the batting lineup, Gregory Polanco and Kyota Fujiwara hit home runs, but could not prevent the team from losing.
Orix took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Masahiro Nishino walked and Tomoya Mori hit a two-run home run. In the 6th inning, Mori’s double and Yutaro Sugimoto’s 1-run double gave them one more run.
Chiba Lotte’s Kyota Fujiwara hit a solo home run in the top of the 8th inning, and Gregory Polanco hit a solo home run in the 9th inning, chasing Orix by 1 run, but the score was not tied in the end.
Chiba Lotte ace Loki Sasaki waited in the bullpen that day, but did not pitch in the game. This season, he played in 15 games (91 innings) with 7 wins, 4 losses, and an average ERA of 1.78, and in the first game of the Climax Series First Stage, he pitched a perfect pitch against Softbank with 4 strikeouts and no runs in 3 innings, but in the end, he was unable to pitch in a single game in the final stage and was sent to the fall baseball season. finished.토토사이트
Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports reported that Sasaki’s fall baseball season was over, saying, “Sasaki prepared to pitch in the bullpen, but the game ended without a chance to pitch.” Sasaki said, “It was good in the first half, but it was unfortunate that he got injured in the second half and could not contribute to his team. He prepared, thinking it would be his turn to pitch because the game was intense. He could not hide his disappointment, saying, “I experienced the difficulties of a short-term match anew, and I will achieve good results next time.”
As Orix advanced to the Japanese Series, a matchup with Hanshin, who had decided to advance to the Japanese Series a day earlier, was concluded. This is the first time in 59 years that teams from the Kansai region have faced each other in the Japan Series since Nankai (now Softbank) and Hanshin faced each other in 1964. At that time, Nankai won the championship with 4 wins and 3 losses. This is the first time that Hanshin and Orix, who made the Kansai Series happen for the second time in history, face each other in the Japanese Series.