The 2020 Japan Series (known as the ''SMBC Nippon Series 2020'' 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 (NPB)
2020 season. The 71st 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 played from November 21 to 25. The series 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 kn ...
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. ...
, 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 consis ...
's (PL)
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 ...
champion, and the defending Japan Series champions, and the
Yomiuri Giants
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
, 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 consist ...
's (CL)
regular-season champion. The series was a rematch of the
previous year's Japan Series.
The Hawks finished the season in 1st place, their first PL title since
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the PL decided to modify the traditional
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 ...
format and eliminate the First Stage series to instead play only one modified Final Stage series. In this series, SoftBank defeated the
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
History
The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...
, the regular season runner-up to advance to the Japan Series. The CL cancelled their Climax Series altogether due to the pandemic, opting instead to send their regular-season champion, the Giants, directly to the Japan Series.
The Hawks swept the Giants for the second straight year to win the series, their fourth straight. SoftBank
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Ryoya Kurihara 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 ...
.
With the Hawks' Japan Series win, for the first time since 1950, the Pacific League led in Japan Series titles.
The series would also be the second most one-sided Japan Series, with the Hawks outscoring the Giants, 26-4. Only the
2005 Japan Series was more one-sided, 33–4 in favor of the
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
History
The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...
over 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 Railway ...
.
Climax Series
The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
prompted
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 ...
(NPB) to modify the
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 ...
. Instead of having the regular season's top three teams participate in the usual two-stage playoff, 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 consis ...
(PL) decided to eliminate the First Stage series and play only one modified Final Stage series. The league's champion and the runner-up competed in a best-of-four series, with the champion receiving a one-win advantage. The first team to win three games advanced to 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 ...
. 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 consist ...
(CL) decided to eliminate their Climax Series altogether, instead opting to sending the regular-season champion directly to the Japan Series.
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. ...
finished the PL regular season in first place, winning the team its first PL pennant since
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
. The team had finished either first- or second-place in the league in nine of the last 11 seasons, including every year since
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. The
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
History
The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...
narrowly edged out the
Saitama Seibu Lions
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, wh ...
at the end of the season to secure second place and the chance to play the Hawks in the Climax Series. During the regular season, the Hawks and the Marines played 24 games against each other. The Marines won the season series with a record, however the Hawks won seven of the last eight games.
Lotte finished the season 14
games behind
In most North American sports, the phrase games behind or games back (often abbreviated GB) is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division.
Example
In the below standings fr ...
the first-place SoftBank. With the one-win advantage and two consecutive come-from-behind Climax Series wins, the Hawks advanced past the Marines to the Japan Series to compete against the
Yomiuri Giants
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
. Because the CL's decision to eliminate its Climax Series, the Giants advanced directly to the Japan Series. Yomiuri finished the season 7.5 games ahead of the nearest runner-up, 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 Railway ...
.
Series notes
The series was a rematch of
last year's Japan Series between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Yomiuri Giants, in which the Hawks swept the Giants to win in four straight games.
SoftBank won the previous three Japan Series and five in the last six years and were looking to become only the second NPB team to ever win four or more titles consecutively, behind only the Giants' nine-year streak from
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
to
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
. Yomiuri had won 22 Japan Series championships, more than any other team in the NPB,
However, the last time they had won was in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, which was also the last time a Central League team had won.
Heading into the series, the CL and PL had both claimed an equal number of championships, each having won 35 times. The Hawks were looking to put the PL ahead for the first time since the
Mainichi Orions
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
History
The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...
won the first Japan Series in
1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
.
![Kyocera_Dome_Osaka1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Kyocera_Dome_Osaka1.jpg)
Home field advantage for the Japan Series alternates between the Pacific and Central leagues every year. For this series, it was the CL's turn to receive the advantage, so home field was awarded to the Giants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
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 ...
(NPB) pushed back the start of the season from March 20 to June 19 and shortened it from 143 games to 120 games. The change in schedule forced the Japan Series to be postponed from its original November 7–15 schedule.
Before the schedule was shifted, however, the Giants' home stadium,
Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
, was already planned to be used for the
Intercity baseball tournament
The intercity baseball tournament (都市対抗野球大会 ''Toshi Taikō yakyū taikai'') of Japan, commonly known as "Summer All-star" (真夏の球宴 ''manatsu no kyūen''), is an annual nationwide inter-city baseball
Baseball i ...
for the period of time that the Japan Series would eventually be rescheduled for. Therefore, because of the scheduling conflict, the Giants' Japan Series home games were instead played at
Kyocera Dome Osaka
The (official name: ) is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. Opened in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the mer ...
, the PL's
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefectur ...
home stadium. It was the first time a Japan Series game was be held outside either of the two participating teams' home stadiums since the
1980 Japan Series
The 1980 Japan Series was the 31st edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Hiroshima Toyo Carp against the Pacific League champion Kintetsu Buffaloes. The Carp defeated the ...
.
For the seventh year in a row,
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
is a Japanese multinational banking and financial services institution headquartered in Yurakucho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The group operates in retail, corporate, and investment banking segment worldwide. It provides financial products and ser ...
(SMBC) sponsored the
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...
for the Japan Series, so it was officially known as the "2020 SMBC Japan Series".
COVID-19 measures
Along with the
All-Star Series,
interleague play
Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pr ...
was removed from the 2020 season to maximize the number of intraleague games that could be played during the pandemic-shortened season. Therefore, the Giants and the Hawks did not play each other during the regular season.
Another pandemic-related change enacted during the regular season and the PL Climax Series dictated that games would end in a
tie if no winner was determined after ten innings, a change from the usual 12-innings from previous seasons. Games played in the Japan Series, however, will be played through 12 innings if necessary. Two days before the start of the series, NPB also decided to adopt the
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
(DH) rule for all games in the series, including games hosted by the Central League team. Typically, games played at the CL team's stadium would require pitchers to bat in accordance with the CL rules. However, with the shortened and condensed season, pitchers had been fatigued more than usual. Also, with interleague play cancelled, PL pitchers never needed to bat all season. Therefore, the DH rule was implemented to lower the risk of injury to pitchers. It was the first time since the
1985 Japan Series
The 1985 Japan Series was the 36th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the Central League champion Hanshin Tigers against the Pacific League champion Seibu Lions. Making their first appearance in the ...
that all games in the series featured the DH.
In accordance with government guidelines, attendance of the games was limited to 50% of the stadiums' respective capacities.
Because of this, the series' total attendance was 69,798, the lowest in Japan Series history.
The series started and completed without any outbreaks, but if the series could not be continued due to an outbreak of COVID-19, the team with the most wins at the time would be declared the champions. If the series was tied at the time, the team with the better Team Quality Balance (TQB) would be declared the champions.
Summary
Game summaries
Game 1
![R](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/R.KURIHARA.jpg)
In the first Japan Series game held outside either of the two participating teams' home stadiums since 1980,
Tomoyuki Sugano
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Career College career
Sugano went to Tokai University, where he had a 37–4 win–loss record and a 0.57 earned run average (ERA). I ...
started the game for the Yomiuri Giants.
After the Hawks'
Yurisbel Gracial singled in the second inning, Sugano gave up a two-run
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 ...
to
Ryoya Kurihara to give the Hawks the early lead. Kurihara later hit a two-out
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
* Th ...
in the fourth inning and attempted to score on a single by
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 ...
, however he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Then, with two outs in the sixth inning, Sugano
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
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 cha ...
and allowed Gracial to reach base with a single. Kurihara then collected two more
runs 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 ...
(RBIs) on his second
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
* Th ...
of the game. Sugano was removed after the inning; it was the first time he had allowed four runs in a start since his second game of the season.
Akira Nakamura drove in the Hawks' final run in the eighth inning with an RBI single.
SoftBank starter
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 ...
lasted seven scoreless innings,
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...
six batters and
walking
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...
three. The Giants had a scoring opportunity in the fourth when he walked two batters to start the inning, however
Yoshihiro Maru
is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Career
In , Hiroshima Toyo Carp selected him in the third round.
He missed time his ...
hit into a
double play
In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.
In Major Leag ...
and Senga retired the next batter. Yomiuri loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against Hawks
closer Yuito Mori
is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
Professional career Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
On October 24, 2013, Mori was drafted by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball ...
, but they were only able to score one run on a
sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d):
"Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
by
Zelous Wheeler
Zelous Lamar Wheeler (born January 16, 1987) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and right fielder. He previously played in NPB for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Yomiuri Giants and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ...
. The Hawks' win was their record ninth-straight Japan Series win and their record 13th-straight postseason win.
Game 2
![Hawks54-Despaigne_(cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Hawks54-Despaigne_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The Giants'
Nobutaka Imamura and the Hawks'
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 starting pitchers, made their first Japan Series starts in game 2.
SoftBank immediately took the lead in the first inning after Imamura issued a one-out walk and Yanagita doubled to drive home the game's first run. Then, after catching a ground ball, a wild throw to first base by Yomiuri
second baseman Naoki Yoshikawa allowed Gracial to reach the base safely and the second run to score. Another single followed by a Despaigne groundout drove in Gracial for the third Hawks' run of the inning. The Hawks scoring continued next inning when
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 ...
hit a one-out solo home run to give the Hawks a 4–1 lead. Imamura was replaced later that same inning by regular-season starter
Shosei Togo. SoftBank continued to score, however, as Yanagita opened the third inning with a single and Gracial hit a home run to drive him home. After failing to score in the fourth inning, the Hawks bounced back in the fifth when the Giants brought in another regular-season starter,
Kazuto Taguchi
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Professional career Yomiuri Giants
On October 24, 2013, Taguchi was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in the 2013 Nippon Professional B ...
, to relive Togo. With one out, Taguchi walked Gracial and Kurihara singled before Despaigne's sacrifice fly gave the Hawks their seventh run.
After four scoreless innings, Ishikawa hit Hiroyuki Nakajima with one out and Wheeler gave the Giants their only runs of the night via a two-run home run. Wheeler drove in all three of Yomiuri's runs through the first two games of the series. Ishikawa was removed from the game after giving up back-to-back singles with one out in the sixth inning. He allowed two runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman, while striking out seven. The Giants went on to load the bases but didn't score after the Hawks' second reliever of the inning struck out
Hiroyuki Nakajima
, nicknamed "Nakaji", is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Saitama Seibu Lions and Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the ...
to end the threat.
Despaigne, however, capitalized on a bases loaded chance when he hit a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
in the seventh inning to put the Hawks ahead by seven. Despaigne's grand slam was the Hawks' first in franchise history in the Japan Series and also allowed him to tie the Japan Series record for the most RBIs in one game, with six. SoftBank added to their lead one last time in the ninth inning when they scored two runs on a throwing
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 Giants pitcher
Kan Otake
is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for 19 seasons for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Yomiuri Giants.
Career
In , Hiroshima Toyo Carp selected him in the first round.
Otake represent ...
. The win extended the Hawks' record consecutive Japan Series win streak to ten games.
Game 3
![20190217_Matt_Moore_Detroit_Tigers_(cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/20190217_Matt_Moore_Detroit_Tigers_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In Game 3,
Matt Moore started for SoftBank and
Ángel Sánchez for Yomiuri. Sánchez retired eight of the first nine Hawks batters he faced before allowing a two-out single in the third inning. Akira Nakamura then put the Hawks ahead with a two-run home run. Sánchez didn't allow another run into the sixth inning when the Giants intentionally loaded the bases with only one out. Giants second baseman
Naoki Yoshikawa, however, made an impressive defensive play to save runs and end the inning. The next inning, Sanchez was removed from the game after allowing a single and a sacrifice.
Relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
Yuhei Takanashi then went on to hit a batter and allow Nakamura to hit an RBI single, his third RBI of the night.
Kan Otake
is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for 19 seasons for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Yomiuri Giants.
Career
In , Hiroshima Toyo Carp selected him in the first round.
Otake represent ...
replaced Takanashi but gave up an RBI single to Yurisbel Gracial to extend the Hawks' lead to 4–0.
After doubling their lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hawks manager
Kimiyasu Kudo made the decision to pull Moore from the game after throwing 93 pitches despite him having a
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
at the time.
No pitcher has thrown a complete game no-hitter in Japan Series history,
however the
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chūbu region of Japan. The team plays in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. They have won the Central League pennant nine times (most recently in 2011) ...
made a similar decision in the
2007 Japan Series
The Japan Series, the 58th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series, began Saturday, October 27, 2007, pitting the Pacific League Regular League and Climax Series' Champion, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, and the Chunichi ...
when
Daisuke Yamai
is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher who played his entire career with the Chunichi Dragons. He is most noted for his combined perfect game with Hitoki Iwase in the 2007 Japan Series to clinch the title for the Dragons for the firs ...
after eight
perfect innings in Game 5 that resulted in a combined perfect game.
In addition to not allowing any hits, Moore pitched seven scoreless innings, struck out five, walked two, and two batters reached base on errors against him.
Livan Moinelo, Moore's relief, hit one batter and walked another in the eighth inning but kept the no-hitter intact by striking out three Giants hitters. Hawks closer Mori then picked up two outs in the ninth inning before giving up a single to
Yoshihiro Maru
is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Career
In , Hiroshima Toyo Carp selected him in the third round.
He missed time his ...
, the Giants' first and only hit of the game. Game 3 extended three Hawks win streaks: 11 consecutive Japan Series games, 15 consecutive Japan Series games at home, and 15 consecutive postseason games.
Game 4
![HAWKS44-YANAGITA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/HAWKS44-YANAGITA.jpg)
In the top of first inning in Game 4,
Akihiro Wakabayashi hit a leadoff double off of SoftBank starter
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 Be ...
.
Hayato Sakamoto
is a Japanese professional baseball shortstop with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
In , Sakamoto became the first player in Giants franchise history to start a season opener while under the age of 20 since Hideki Mats ...
followed with a double of his own, driving in Wakabayashi and giving the Giants their first lead of the series. The Hawks quickly took the lead back, however, in the bottom half of the inning when Yuki Yanagita hit a two-run home run off of Giants starter
Seishu Hatake. Takuya Kai extended the Hawks' lead in the second inning with a two-out, two-run home run. The home run, Kai's second of the series, resulted in Hatake's removal from the game. Wada, likewise, had a short start for the Hawks, lasting only two innings. Yomiuri reliever Shosei Togo took the mound in the third inning and retired seven of eight batters faced.
Yuki Matsumoto replaced Wada in the third and went on to strike out four over innings and earned the win. Neither team allowed a runner past first base from the fifth inning until the ninth inning, when SoftBank closer Yuito Mori allowed a walk and a single with one out. The Giants did not capitalize on their final opportunity, however, as Mori struck out
Shunta Tanaka and
Yoshiyuki Kamei
was a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives of Japan representing Kanagawa Prefecture.
Biography
Yoshiyuki Kamei was born on 30 April 1936. He graduated from Keio University in 1962.
He was Ministry of Agricultu ...
flied out.
Postgame, Ryoya Kurihara 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 ...
. The Hawks' win completed their second straight Japan Series sweep of the Giants. The Japan Series title was SoftBank's fourth straight, the first Pacific League team to achieve the feat and the first since the Giants, who won nine straight from 1965 to 1973. Through the end of the series, the Hawks had won their last 12 Japan Series games, their last 16 home games in the Japan Series, and their last 16 postseason games. The Giants' .132
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 ...
in the series was the lowest in Japan Series history and the loss was their ninth consecutive Japan Series loss, tying the record.
See also
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2020 Korean Series
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2020 World Series
The 2020 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2020 season. The 116th World Series was a best-of-seven-playoff between the American League (AL) champion Tampa Bay Rays and the National League (NL) champion Los Ang ...
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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the most significant disruption to the worldwide sporting calendar since World War II. Across the world and to varying degrees, sports events have been cancelled or postponed. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo w ...
References
Notes
Citations
{{Yomiuri Giants
Japan Series
2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season
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 ...