And then there were four. The first round of the Climax Series was played this past weekend, and it was definitely filled with thrills, especially the last game (which just ended minutes ago in Chiba). Here are summaries of the games…
Central League
Yokohama DeNA Baystars @ Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Game 1: Saturday, October 14
Katsuki Azuma vs. Hiroki Tokoda
This game went five innings without a single run scoring, as the starters clamped down even after allowing runners into scoring position. In the top of the sixth, Toshiro Miyazaki slugged a Tokoda offering over the left field wall, giving the Baystars a 2-0 lead. The Carp got one back in the bottom of the inning on a Ryoma Nishikawa sacrifice fly. Two innings later, they tied the game on a squeeze play, scoring without the need of a hit (walk, bunt, stolen base, squeeze). The game went to extras, and in the bottom of the eleventh with runners on the corners, Shogo Akiyama hit a ball over the center fielder’s head and the Carp walked off the opener.
Final Score: Carp 3x, Baystars 2
Game 2: Sunday, October 15
Shota Imanaga vs. Masato Morishita
The Carp drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning, as Nishikawa hit a solo home run to the right field stands. The game went quiet after that until the bottom of the sixth, when the Carp doubled their lead thanks to a Shota Suekane solo home run. With their backs to the wall, the Baystars put up a two-spot in the top of the seventh. It came on a Miyazaki RBI single and a Neftali Soto sacrifice fly. However, the Carp produced two runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth with a Kosuke Tanaka RBI single and an Akiyama sac fly. Closer Ryoji Kuribayashi shut the door in the ninth with two backward K’s against the meat of the Baystars order. Carp advance!
Final Score: Carp 4, Baystars 2
Pacific League
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks @ Chiba Lotte Marines
Game 1: Saturday, October 14
Carter Stewart Jr vs. Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasaki threw three perfect innings, striking out four batters, and left the game at that point (this was his first action in over a month because of injury). Meanwhile, leadoff hitter Takashi Ogino and cleanup batter Gregory Polanco each hit huge home runs in the bottom of the first to give the home team an early lead. They doubled their lead in the third on a bases-loaded groundout + error. Yuki Yanagita cut the lead back in half in the top of the sixth with a two-run blast to deep right, but the Marines countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. They added another insurance run in the bottom of the 8th.
Final Score: Marines 8, Hawks 2
Game 2: Sunday, October 15
Kohei Arihara vs. Yuji Nishino
The teams exchanged blows in the first inning, with Kensuke Kondoh driving in a run for the visitors and Polanco retaliating with a sac fly in the bottom of the frame. In the top of the third, the Hawks opened the floodgates with two doubles and a single resulting in two runs. Nishino’s night was over at inning’s end. For his part, Arihara threw six innings and yielding just a single run. Outside of the first inning, no Marines reached second base. The relief combination of Koya Fujii, Yuki Matsumoto, and Roberto Osuna shut the door to ensure this series went the distance.
Final Score: Hawks 3, Marines 1
Game 3: Monday, October 16
Tsuyoshi Wada vs. Kazuya Ojima
The starting pitchers both did their jobs, with 41-year-old Wada tossing five shutout innings and 31-year-old Ojima going six and a third without allowing a run. The game went to extras knotted at zero, and that’s when things got interesting. The Hawks strung together three straight RBI hits with two outs, giving themselves a really good shot at taking the series. Having used the same trio from the day before in the previous three innings, they had to lean on their secondary bullpen members, and it ended up spelling doom for them. Without recording a single out, they let the Marines tie the game on two singles and a Yudai Fujioka home run. The Hawks pitchers got two outs, but a Hiromi Oka single was followed by a walk-off Hisanori Yasuda double to right. Game. Set. Series.
Final Score: Marines 4x, Hawks 3
The final stage of the Climax Series will begin on Wednesday in the Kansai area: the Carp roll into Koshien Stadium to face the Hanshin Tigers, while the Marines will visit Kyocera Dome Osaka to try to knock out the defending champion Orix Buffaloes.
