The 2017 Japan Series (known as the ''SMBC Nippon Series 2017'' for sponsorship reasons) was the championship series of

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

's postseason. The 68th edition of the

Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, :File:2014_JS_logo.png is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series ...

, it was a

best-of-seven playoff There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly ...

between the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

of the

Pacific League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series. It currently cons ...

and the

Yokohama DeNA BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

of the

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consi ...

. SoftBank finished in first place in the Pacific League during the 2017 regular season, while the BayStars advanced to the postseason after finishing in third place in the Central League. In the 2017

Climax Series The is the current annual playoff system implemented by Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). It determines which team from the Central League (CL) and from the Pacific League (PL) will advance to compete for the championship in the Japan ...

, the Hawks defeated the

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...

to win the Pacific League Championship. The BayStars defeated the

Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda ...

to become the Central League champions, becoming the first Central League team to finish in third place during the regular season to win a Climax Series. The Hawks won the first three games of the series. Facing elimination, the BayStars won Games 4 and 5. Returning home, the Hawks won Game 6 to win the series, 4–2. Hawks' pitcher

Dennis Sarfate Dennis Scott Sarfate (born April 9, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Saitama Seibu ...

, with two saves and a Game 6 win, was named the

Japan Series Most Valuable Player The is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the Japan Series, which is the final round of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) postseason. The award was first presented in 1950. The series follows a b ...

(MVP).

Toshiro Miyazaki is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays infielder for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team ...

won the

Fighting Spirit Award The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, :File:2014_JS_logo.png is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series ...

, given to the best player on the losing team. This is the first Japan Series loss for the BayStars, having won in two previous appearances in 1960 and 1998.

Climax Series

Series notes

The

last won the Japan Series in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

. They had losing records in every season from 2002 through

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, with ten last place finishes in that span. In 2012,

DeNA Dena (in Luri and fa, ) is the name for a sub-range within the Zagros Mountains, Iran. Mount Dena, with length and average width, is situated on the boundary of the Isfahan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Prov ...

purchased the BayStars from the

Tokyo Broadcasting System formerly is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network and radio network . It has a 28-affiliate television network called JNN (Japan News Network), as well as a 34-affili ...

. DeNA focused on increasing attendance at

Yokohama Stadium is a baseball stadium in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It opened in 1978 and has a capacity of 34,046 people. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The stadium features dirt around the bases an ...

and improving the team, hiring

Alex Ramírez Alexander Ramón Ramírez Quiñónez (born 3 October 1974) is a Venezuelan-born Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who had a long career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is the first foreign-born player to record 2 ...

as their manager in 2016. The BayStars finished in third place in the

in 2017, games behind the

. Their .252 team

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

and 134

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s were both second best in the Central League. The BayStars defeated the

Hanshin Tigers The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railwa ...

and then the Carp in the

2017 Central League Climax Series The 2017 Central League Climax Series (CLCS) was a post-season playoff consisting of two consecutive series that determined who would represent the Central League in the Japan Series. The First Stage was a best-of-three series and the Final Stage ...

, becoming the first third place team to advance to the Japan Series from the Central League. José López was the most valuable player (MVP) of the Central League Climax Series. The

have won three Japan Series championships since 2011. Their 3.22

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

was the lowest in

(NPB) in 2017, and

set an NPB single-season record with 54 saves.

Alfredo Despaigne Alfredo Despaigne Rodriguez (born June 17, 1986) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He played for the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Career In 2009, Despai ...

and

Yuki Yanagita , nicknamed "Gita (ギータ)", is a professional Japanese baseball outfielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He is an eight-time All-Star and a two-time Pacific League MVP, earning those honors in and . Yanagita has won six Japan Series ch ...

both hit over 30 home runs, as the Hawks hit 164 home runs, the most in NPB during the regular season. They defeated the

in the

2017 Pacific League Climax Series The 2017 Pacific League Climax Series (PLCS) consisted of two consecutive series, Stage 1 being a best-of-three series and Stage 2 being a best-of-six with the top seed being awarded a one-win advantage. The winner of the series advanced to the 20 ...

Seiichi Uchikawa is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama BayStars and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Career Yokohama BayStars ...

was named the MVP of the Pacific League Climax Series. Uchikawa, the captain of the Hawks, played for Yokohama for ten seasons.

Series overview

Game summaries

Game 1

Kodai Senga is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) debut in for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and played for them until . He is a three-time NPB All-S ...

started for the Hawks, and Shoichi Ino started for the BayStars. The Hawks scored in the first inning when Despaigne hit a

run batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBI)

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

, scoring Yanagita. In the second inning, Yuya Hasegawa hit a two-run home run. The BayStars scored a run on an RBI

ground ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

Masayuki Kuwahara is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays outfielder for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The te ...

in the top of the fifth inning, but the Hawks scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, when

Kenta Imamiya is a Japanese professional baseball shortstop for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is the Pacific League record holder for Sacrifice bunt, sacrifice bunts. Early baseball career Imamiya attended Meiho High S ...

scored on an RBI

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by Despaigne,

Keizo Kawashima is a Japanese people, Japanese professional baseball player. He plays infielder for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Professional career On November 18, 2005, Kawashima was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the 2005 Nippon Profess ...

and

Takuya Kai is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Professional career On October 28, 2010, Kai was drafted by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks as a developmental player in the 2010 ...

drew walks with the

bases loaded B backdoor breaking ball :A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate after seeming as if it would miss the p ...

, Yanagita had a two RBI single, and Imamiya had a two RBI

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

. Senga allowed one

unearned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an error ...

on four hits in seven innings pitched to earn the victory.

Game 2

Nao Higashihama started for the Hawks, pitching innings, and allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Shōta Imanaga started for the BayStars, allowing one run and five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings. The BayStars scored all three of their runs in the sixth inning, with a solo home run by Takayuki Kajitani and a two-run home run by

. The Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-RBI single by Akira Nakamura that resulted in a close play at

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

Instant replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live. The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had j ...

determined that Imamiya was safe, giving Softbank a one-run lead. Sarfate earned the save.

Game 3

Kazuhiro Sasaki Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki (佐々木主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo W ...

, a member of the BayStars in their 1998 championship season, threw the

ceremonial first pitch The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...

Joe Wieland Joseph Andrew Wieland (born January 21, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Oakland Athletics organization. He has pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners. H ...

started Game 3 for the BayStars, and

Shota Takeda is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Professional career On October 27, 2011, Takeda was drafted by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as their first overall pick in the 201 ...

started for the Hawks. Uchikawa had an RBI single for SoftBank in the first inning.

Hiroaki Takaya Hiroaki Takaya (高谷裕亮, born November 13, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and currently the second squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for ...

hit a two RBI single in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 3–0. Takeda was removed from the game after innings. He allowing one run, a home run by López in the fourth inning, but was able to escape a bases loaded jam that inning without allowing more runs. The Hawks' relief pitchers completed the victory by pitching innings, allowing one run on an infield single in the sixth inning.

Shuta Ishikawa is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Professional career On October 24, 2013, Ishikawa was drafted as a Developmental player system (Nippon Professional Baseball), de ...

, the first reliever to enter the game, earned the win. Wieland, who allowed three runs in innings, took the loss. Sarfate earned his second save of the series.

Game 4

With DeNA facing elimination, they started

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

Haruhiro Hamaguchi in Game 4. Hamaguchi did not allow a hit to SoftBank for innings, when

Shinya Tsuruoka Shinya Tsuruoka (鶴岡慎也, born April 11, 1981 in Kagoshima, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Jap ...

hit a double. He came out of the game after allowing his second hit in the inning.

Tsuyoshi Wada is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB). He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs. Wada pitched in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Bei ...

, starting for the Hawks, allowed two runs in five innings. Miyazaki hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, followed by a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Toshihiko Kuramoto. In the seventh inning,

Shuto Takajo is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Jap ...

hit a home run for the BayStars to extend their lead to 3–0. In the eighth inning, DeNA expanded their lead when Miyazaki hit an RBI single and Takajo hit a two-run single.

Game 5

Rick van den Hurk Henricus "Rick" Nicolas van den Hurk (Eindhoven, May 22, 1985) is a Dutch professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has also pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh ...

started Game 5 for SoftBank, and Kenta Ishida started for DeNA. SoftBank scored in the first inning of Game 5, with a single and stolen base by Imamiya followed by an RBI double by Uchikawa. In the fourth inning, López hit a double for DeNA, and

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder and first baseman in the Texas Rangers organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates and for the Yokohama BayStars/ ...

hit a two-run home run. SoftBank took a 4–2 lead in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly by Despaigne and a two-run home run by Nakamura. DeNA responded in the sixth inning with an RBI double by Tsutsugo and an RBI single by Miyazaki that tied the game, 4–4. Another run scored on an

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

by Hawks' second baseman

Kenji Akashi is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball infielder, and current second squad hitting coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was an active player for the Fukuoka Daiei/SoftBank Hawks until 2022 se ...

Yasuaki Yamasaki is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Career Yamasaki was drafted with the first pick by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He has ...

, DeNA's closer, entered the game with two baserunners in the eighth inning, but escaped without allowing a run. The Hawks loaded the bases against Yamasaki in the ninth inning, but he completed the save without allowing a run.

Game 6

With the series returning to the

Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome The is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium was originally named and has the capacity of 38,585 seats. With a diameter of 216 meters, the Fukuoka PayPay Dome is the world's largest geodesic dome. T ...

, Higashihama started for the Hawks and Imanaga started for DeNA.

Nobuhiro Matsuda is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Professional career Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks On November 18, 2005, Matsuda was draf ...

hit a home run for SoftBank in the second inning, and Hiroyuki Shirasaki hit a home run for DeNA in the fifth inning, tying the score. López hit a two-run single in the fifth inning, giving DeNA a 3–1 lead. Higashihama allowed three runs on five hits in innings, while Imanaga pitched seven innings with 11 strikeouts, allowing two runs. Trailing 3–2 in the ninth inning, Uchikawa hit a game-tying solo home run off of Yamasaki.

hit the walk-off RBI single for SoftBank in the eleventh inning for the title. Sarfate pitched three scoreless innings of relief for SoftBank to earn the win. Sarfate won the

Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award The is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the Japan Series, which is the final round of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) postseason. The award was first presented in 1950. The series follows a b ...

References

{{Fukuoka Softbank Hawks Japan Series 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball season

Yokohama DeNA BayStars Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks