Sunday 5 October Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2025-10-05 Eagles-Buffaloes went 11 innings
Yuki Yanagita led off the game with a home run but it was Hotaka Yamakawa's grand slam that proved the difference as the SoftBank Hawks finish off their regular season with a 5-2 victory over the Lotte Marines in Chiba. Kohei Arihara tossed 6 innings to earn his 14th win of the year. Ryo Ohta hit a solo home run in the 11th inning to give the Orix Buffaloes a 2-1 win over the Rakuten Eagles in Sendai. Hiroya Miyagi and Shunpeita Yamashita each threw 2 innings of relief in preparation for their postseason series against the Nipponham Fighters next weekend.
BATTING *To qualify: 3.1 plate appearances per the number of games played by that player's club Average .309 - Kaito Kozono (Carp) .301 - Yuta Izuguchi (Giants) .291 - Yūki Okabayashi (Dragons) .284 - Masayuki Kuwahara (BayStars) .282 - Takumu Nakano (Tigers) .279 - Koji Chikamoto (Tigers) .2774 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .2772 - Naoki Yoshikawa (Giants) .276 - Sandro Fabian (Carp) .275 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) On-Base Percentage .365 - Kaito Kozono (Carp) .363 - Yusuke Ohyama (Tigers) .362 - Yuta Izuguchi (Giants) .350 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) .349 - Naoki Yoshikawa (Giants) .3479 - Koji Chikamoto (Tigers) .3478 - Masayuki Kuwahara (BayStars) .3475 - Yūki Okabayashi (Dragons) .345 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .339 - Takumu Nakano (Tigers) OPS .924 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .813 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) .781 - Trey Cabbage (Giants) .758 - Yusuke Ohyama (Tigers) .755 - Yuta Izuguchi (Giants) .753 - Kaito Kozono (Carp) .742 - Jason Vosler (Dragons) .741 - Sandro Fabian (Carp) .737 - Seiji Uebayashi (Dragons) .7299 - Yūki Okabayashi (Dragons) .7297 - Masayuki Kuwahara (BayStars) Home Runs 40 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) 23 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) 22 - Munetaka Murakami (Swallows) 20 - Seiya Hosokawa (Dragons) 20 - Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (BayStars) 17 - Sandro Fabian (Carp) 17 - Seiji Uebayashi (Dragons) 17 - Trey Cabbage (Giants) 16 - Shugo Maki (BayStars) 15 - Kazuma Okamoto (Giants) 15 - Keita Sano (BayStars) RBIs 102 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) 89 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) 75 - Yusuke Ohyama (Tigers) 70 - Keita Sano (BayStars) 67 - José Osuna (Swallows) 65 - Sandro Fabian (Carp) 62 - Shota Suekane (Carp) 58 - Jason Vosler (Dragons) 58 - Seiya Hosokawa (Dragons) 52 - Seiji Uebayashi (Dragons) AVG with RISP .413 - Kaito Kozono (Carp) .359 - Keita Sano (BayStars) .316 - Yusuke Ohyama (Tigers) .306 - Masayuki Kuwahara (BayStars) .304 - Yuta Izuguchi (Giants) .299 - José Osuna (Swallows) .2882 - Shota Suekane (Carp) .2875 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) .273 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .265 - Yūki Okabayashi (Dragons) Stolen Bases 32 - Koji Chikamoto (Tigers) 27 - Seiji Uebayashi (Dragons) 22 - Masaki Mimori (BayStars) 19 - Takumu Nakano (Tigers) 17 - Ryutaro Hatsuki (Carp) 17 - Yūki Okabayashi (Dragons) 14 - Yukihiro Iwata (Swallows) 12- Kaito Kozono (Carp) 12 - Mikiya Tanaka (Dragons) 11 - Takuma Hayashi (BayStars) PITCHING *To qualify: Minimum innings equal to the number of games played by that pitcher's club. ERA 1.55 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) 1.74 - Anthony Kay (BayStars) 2.07 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 2.10 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 2.19 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 2.33 - Andre Jackson (BayStars) 2.48 - Masato Morishita (Carp) 2.72 - Takahiro Matsuba (Dragons) 2.83 - Hiroto Takahashi (Dragons) 3.15 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) WHIP 0.89 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 0.98 - Anthony Kay (BayStars) 1.02 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 1.05 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 1.06 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) 1.14 - Hiroto Takahashi (Dragons) 1.16 - Masato Morishita (Carp) 1.17 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) 1.19 - Takahiro Matsuba (Dragons) 1.25 - Andre Jackson (BayStars) Innings pitched 175.1 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 171.2 - Hiroto Takahashi (Dragons) 171.1 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) 160.1 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 157.0 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) 156.1 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 155.0 - Anthony Kay (BayStars) 152.1 - Masato Morishita (Carp) 150.2 - Andre Jackson (BayStars) 145.2 - Takahiro Matsuba (Dragons) Strikeouts 144 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 138 - Hiroto Takahashi (Dragons) 131 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 130 - Anthony Kay (BayStars) 123 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 122 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) 119 - Trevor Bauer (BayStars) 113 - Jon Duplantier (Tigers) 109 - Andre Jackson (BayStars) 104 - Peter Lambert (Swallows) Wins 14 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 14 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 12 - Hiroto Saiki (Tigers) 11 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 11 - Yudai Ohno (Dragons) 10 - Andre Jackson (BayStars) 9 - Anthony Kay (BayStars) 9 - Kotaro Otake (Tigewrs) 9 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) 8 - Taisei Ota (Giants) 8 - Hiroto Takahashi (Dragons) 8 - Kojiro Yoshimura (Swallows) 8 - Shosei Togo (Giants) Holds 46 - Masaki Oyokawa (Tigers) 46 - Taisei Ota (Giants) 36 - Daichi Ishii (Tigers) 36 - Eito Tanaka (Giants) 36 - Kota Nakagawa (Giants) 32 - Hiromu Ise (BayStars) 30 - Tatsuya Shimizu (Dragons) 29 - Sotaro Shimauchi (Carp) 28 - Kota Shoji (Swallows) 25 - Daisuke Moriura (Carp) Saves 46 - Raidel Martínez (Giants) 46 - Shinya Matsuyama (Dragons) 31 - Suguru Iwazaki (Tigers) 22 - Taisei Irie (BayStars) 17 - Tomoya Hoshi (Swallows) 14 - Taichi Ishiyama (Swallows) 13 - Hiromu Ise (BayStars) 12 - Daisuke Moriura (Carp) 10 - Ryoji Kuribayashi (Carp) 9 - Daichi Ishii (Tigers)
BATTING *To qualify: 3.1 plate appearances per the number of games played by that player's club Average .304 - Taisei Makihara (Hawks) .292 - Tatsuru Yanagimachi (Hawks) .284 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) .283 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .2807 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) .2805 - Misho Nishikawa (Marines) .2773 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .2770 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) .272 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) .271 - Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) On-Base Percentage .384 - Tatsuru Yanagimachi (Hawks) .347 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .346 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) .337 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .335 - Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) .332 - Yutaro Sugimoto (Buffaloes) .329 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) .321 - Kotaro Kurebayashi (Buffaloes) .320 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) .3176 - Manaya Nishikawa (Lions) .3175 - Misho Nishikawa (Marines) OPS .861 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .794 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) .760 - Tatsuru Yanagimachi (Hawks) .758 - Yutaro Sugimoto (Buffaloes) .746 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) .733 - Chusei Mannami (Fighters) .726 - Taisei Makihara (Hawks) .722 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) .710 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .704 - Manaya Nishikawa (Lions) Home Runs 32 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) 23 - Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) 21 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) 20 - Chusei Mannami (Fighters) 16 - Yutaro Sugimoto (Buffaloes) 13 - Luke Voit (Eagles) 13 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) 13 - Neftali Soto (Marines) 12 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) 12 - Shun Mizutani (Fighters) 12 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) 12 - Isami Nomura (Hawks) 12 - Seiya Watanabe (Lions) RBIs 90 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) 65 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) 63 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) 62 - Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) 56 - Chusei Mannami (Fighters) 54 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) 53 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) 53 - Yutaro Sugimoto (Buffaloes) 52 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) 51 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) AVG with RISP .361 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .355 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) .3302 - Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) .3300 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .314 - Taisei Makihara (Hawks) .308 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) .306 - Tatsuru Yanagimachi (Hawks) .304 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) .287 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) .286 - Misho Nishikawa (Marines) .286 - Taishi Hirooka (Buffaloes) Stolen Bases 35 - Ukyo Shuto (Hawks) 28 - Hiroto Kobukata (Eagles) 25 - Manaya Nishikawa (Lions) 25 - Ryota Isobata (Fighters) 22 - Daisuke Nakashima (Eagles) 21 - Natsuo Takizawa (Lions) 20 - Akito Takabe (Marines) 20 - Ryosuke Tatsumi (Eagles) 18 - Isami Nomura (Hawks) 15 - Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) PITCHING *To qualify: Minimum innings equal to the number of games played by that pitcher's club. ERA 1.46 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 1.63 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 1.66 - Tomohisa Ohzeki (Hawks) 1.92 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 2.39 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) 2.41 - Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) 2.52 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 2.59 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 2.63 - Atsuki Taneichi (Marines) 2.74 - Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) WHIP 0.89 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 0.92 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 0.97 - Tomohisa Ohzeki (Hawks) 1.03 - Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) 1.05 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 1.06 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 1.097 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) 1.102 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 1.15 - Atsuki Taneichi (Marines) 1.19 - Kohei Arihara (Hawks) Innings pitched 196.2 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 175.0 - Kohei Arihara (Hawks) 167.0 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 164.1 - Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) 163.2 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 160.2 - Atsuki Taneichi (Marines) 159.2 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 150.1 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) 149.0 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 148.0 - Kona Takahashi (Lions) Strikeouts 195 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 178 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 172 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 165 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) 161 - Atsuki Taneichi (Marines) 149 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 143 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 121 - Kohei Arihara (Hawks) 119 - Anderson Espinoza (Buffaloes) 115 - Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) Wins 14 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 14 - Kohei Arihara (Hawks) 13 - Tomohisa Ohzeki (Hawks) 12 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 12 - Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) 11 - Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) 10 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 10 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 9 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 9 - Atsuki Taneichi (Marines) 9 - Takayuki Kato (Fighters) Holds 39 - Yuki Matsumoto (Hawks) 33 - Hiroshi Kaino (Lions) 33 - Luis Perdomo (Buffaloes) 31 - Naoto Nishiguchi (Eagles) 31 - Trey Wingenter (Lions) 21 - Shoma Fujihira (Eagles) 20 - Rikuto Yokoyama (Marines) 19 - Koya Fujii (Hawks) 19 - Sora Suzuki (Eagles) 18 - Ren Kajiya (Eagles) 18 - Ryusei Kawano (Fighters) Saves 31 - Kaima Taira (Lions) 31 - Kazuki Sugiyama (Hawks) 28 - Andrés Machado (Buffaloes) 16 - Takahiro Norimoto (Eagles) 13 - Seigi Tanaka (Fighters) 12 - Rikuto Yokoyama (Marines) 12- Shoma Fujihira (Eagles) 11 - Taisei Yanagawa (Fighters) 8 - Roberto Osuna (Hawks) 5 - Shunsuke Nakamori (Marines) 5 - Sora Suzuki (Eagles) 5 - Naoya Masuda (Marines) 5 - Shota Suzuki (Marines)
For the third consecutive year the average attendance at NPB games was higher than that of MLB. Here is every NPB and MLB team's average home attendance for the 2025 season. 49,537 Los Angeles Dodgers 42,435 San Diego Padres 41,885 New York Yankees 41,722 Hanshin Tigers 41,672 Philadelphia Phillies 39,761 Yomiuri Giants 39,316 New York Mets 38,281 SoftBank Hawks 37,259 Chicago Cubs 36,121 San Francisco Giants 35,842 Atlanta Braves 35,184 Toronto Blue Jays 35,012 Chunichi Dragons 34,278 Boston Red Sox 33,677 Houston Astros 33,245 Yokohama BayStars 32,717 Milwaukee Brewers 32,290 Los Angeles Angels 31,515 NIPPON PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL 31,442 Nipponham Fighters 31,334 Seattle Mariners 29,796 Detroit Tigers 29,687 Colorado Rockies 29,593 Texas Rangers 29,555 Arizona Diamondbacks 29,387 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 28,571 Orix Buffaloes 28,356 Hiroshima Carp 27,944 Yakult Swallows 27,778 St. Louis Cardinals 26,802 Cincinnati Reds 26,018 Lotte Marines 25,325 Cleveland Guardians 24,395 Seibu Lions 23,713 Rakuten Golden Eagles 23,664 Washington Nationals 22,267 Baltimore Orioles 21,836 Minnesota Twins 21,590 Kansas City Royals 18,827 Pittsburgh Pirates 17,849 Chicago White Sox 14,281 Miami Marlins 9,713 Tampa Bay Rays 9,487 Athletics
CLIMAX SERIES - FIRST PHASE • Best of three • The teams that finished in 2nd place in the league standings (BayStars / Fighters) will host all three games. •Games will be declared a tie after 12 innings. •The 3rd place teams (Giants / Buffaloes) must win more games than the home team to advance. The league champions (Tigers / Hawks) receive a bye directly to the CS Final Phase.
CENTRAL LEAGUE Yokohama BayStars vs Yomiuri Giants Yokohama Stadium (Hamasta), Naka-ku, Yokohama Giants won season series 15-9-1 (7-5-1 at Hamasta) Game 1 : Saturday 11 October, 14:00 Game 2 : Sunday 12 October, 14:00 Game 3 : Monday 13 October, 14:00 PACIFIC LEAGUE Nippon-Ham Fighters vs Orix Buffaloes Es Con Field Hokkaido in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido Season series tied 12-12-1 (Buffaloes won 7-6 at Es Con Field) Game 1 : Saturday 11 October, 14:00 Game 2 : Sunday 12 October, 14:00 Game 3 : Monday 13 October, 14:00
Saturday 11 October Game 1 probables BayStars : Anthony Kay (9-6 1.74) Giants : Iori Yamasaki (11-4 2.07) Fighters : Hiromi Itoh (14-8 2.52) Buffaloes : Shunpeita Yamashita (1-0 1.25)
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo went 4-for-4 with 2 home runs and three RBIs to lead the Yokohama BayStars a 6-2 win over the Yomiuri Giants. Anthony Kay allowed just two hits while striking out 8 over 7 strong innings for the home team. Gakuto Wakabayashi accounted for the Giants' scoring with a two-run home run in the 4th. BayStars lead series 1-0
Hiromi Itoh struck out 9 batters over 7 shutout innings as the Nipponham Fighters picked up a key win over the Orix Buffaloes with a 2-0 victory. Chusei Mannami’s RBI single scored Yuya Gunji in the 2nd frame and Gunji himself added an insurance run with a solo blast in the 4th. Shunpeita Yamashita lasted 6 innings but took the loss in his first ever post-season appearance. Fighters lead series 1-0
Sunday 12 October Game 2 probables BayStars : Andre Jackson (10-7, 2.33) Giants : Shosei Togo (8-9, 4/14) Fighters : Koki Kitayama (9-5, 1.63) Buffaloes : Hiroya Miyagi (7-3, 2.39)
Sunday 12 October Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2025-10-12 BayStars-Giants went 11 innings
A two-run double from Franmil Reyes in the 9th inning flipped a 4-3 deficit to a 5-4 win for the Nipponham Fighters over the Orix Buffaloes to win the First Stage of the Pacific League Climax Series 2 games to 0. For the second straight year the Fighters will head to Fukuoka to take on the PL pennant-winning SoftBank Hawks for a spot in the Japan Series. Yutaro Sugimoto homered in the top of the 2nd inning to put Orix up 1-0 but Nipponham tied it in the bottom of the frame on Shun Mizutani's RBI single to center field that scored Shu Yamagata from second base. The visitors went back in front in the top of the 3rd on a three-run home run by Kotaro Kurebayashi. Kotaro Kiyomiya narrowed the gap to 4-3 when centerfielder Taishi Hirooka misjudged a shallow fly that turned into a two-run triple in the bottom of the 3rd. The score remained at 4-3 until Reyes' heroics punched Nipponham’s ticket to Fukuoka which begins on Wednesday. Fighters win series 2-0
Tatsuo Ebina's single to left field brought home Takuma Hayashi in the 11th inning to give the Yokohama BayStars a dramatic 7-6 sayonara victory over the Yomiuri Giants. The victory advances the BayStars to the Final Stage of the Central League Climax Series where they will meet the CL pennant winning Hanshin Tigers for a place in the Nippon Series. Home runs from Shunsuke Sasaki and Raito Nakayama as well as an RBI single from starting pitcher Shosei Togo put the Giants up 5-0 to start the contest. But the BayStars answered with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the 1st inning courtesy of a two-run homer from Keita Sano and a three-run shot by Taiki Ishikami. Incredibly, there was no further scoring until the 11th inning when Sasaki's chopper inside the first base line allowed Daiki Masuda to slide home to put the Giants back on top 6-5 in a game they had to win. A 12 inning tie would have been enough for the BayStars to advance based on their regular season winning percentage. But the home team came back with two runs in the last of the 11th after two were out with the bases empty. Ishikami singled, stole second base then scored the crucial game-tying run on Hayashi's single to left field. Hayashi then ended up of third base on Ryuki Watarai's single to right field, and scored the Series clinching run when Ebina singled to left as bedlam ensued at Yokohama Stadium. BayStars win series 2-0
A few tidbits. NHK commentators of Fighters-Buffaloes react to the wild 1st inning score of BayStars-Giants. With the Yomiuri Giants eliminated from the post-season, reports are saying that the club will post Kazuma Okamoto to MLB this winter. Okamoto will be the first non-pitcher posted by the Kyojin (third player overall: 2019 Shun Yamaguchito; 2020 Tomoyuki Sugano). Back in August the Yokohama BayStars performance team, "diana", announced that Aki would be graduating from the squad at the end of the season following 5 years of service. Unless the BayStars can advance to the Japan Series, Sunday was the final time the popular and speedy Aki-chan ran the anchor leg of the Hisense Hamasta Battle. Over the three years that the running event has taken place diana compiled a record of 153 wins 59 losses when Aki ran the final leg. "I gave it my all."
CLIMAX SERIES - FINAL PHASE • Best of seven • The league champions (Tigers / Hawks) begin the series with a 1-0 advantage and will host all six games. • Games will end tied after 12 innings. • The First Phase winners (BayStars / Fighters) must win more games than the home team to advance.
CENTRAL LEAGUE Hanshin Tigers vs Yokohama BayStars Koshien Stadium, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Tigers won season series 14-8-3 (5-4 at Koshien) Game 1 : Wednesday 15 October, 18:00 Game 2 : Thursday 16 October, 18:00 Game 3 : Friday 17 October, 18:00 Game 4 : Saturday 19 October, 14:00 Game 5 : Sunday 19 October, 14:00 Game 6 : Monday 20 October, 18:00 PACIFIC LEAGUE SoftBank Hawks vs Nippon-Ham Fighters Mizuho PayPay Dome. Fukuoka Hawks won season series 13-12 (7-5 in Fukuoka) Game 1 : Wednesday 15 October, 18:00 Game 2 : Thursday 16 October, 18:00 Game 3 : Friday 17 October, 18:00 Game 4 : Saturday 19 October, 14:00 Game 5 : Sunday 19 October, 13:00 Game 6 : Monday 20 October, 18:00
Wednesday 15 October Game 1 probables Tigers : Shoki Murakami (14-4 , 2.10) BayStars : Katsuki Azuma (14-8 , 2.19) Hawks : Liván Moinelo (12-3 , 1.46) Fighters : Kota Tatsu (8-2 , 2.09)
Wednesday 15 October Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2025-10-15 Hawks-Fighters went 10 innings
Hotaka Yamakawa chopped a single into left field scoring pinch runner Yudai Shoji in the 10th inning to give the SoftBank Hawks a 2-1 sayonara victory over the Nipponham Fighters. As champions of the Pacific League regular season, the Hawks began play with an automatic 1-0 series lead and so now go up 2-0 in the best-of-7 clash. Isami Nomura opened the scoring for the home team with a solo home run in the 7th inning. But Franmil Reyes immediately leveled the score with a 420 ft blast into the right field bleachers. The Dominican slugger nearly gave the Fighters the lead in the 10th but had to settle for a long single when his shot hit off the top of the wall. Hawks ace Liván Moinelo was on form once again, allowing just five hits and two walks with 7 strikeouts over 7 shutout innings. Hawks lead series 2-0
RBI singles from Shota Morishita and pinch hitter Dan Onodera provided the only scoring as the Central League champion Hanshin Tigers defeated the Yokohama BayStars 2-0 to take a 2-0 series lead. Shoki Murakami pitched himself into trouble in the early innings but escaped withou tdamage over 5 shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks while fanning 5 batters. He also hit Takuma Hayashi with an eephus pitch that registered 64 kmh (40mph) on the radar. DeNA's Masayuki Kuwahara led all batters going a modasho 3-for-5 on the night. Tigers lead series 2-0
Thursday 16 October Game 2 probables Tigers : Hiroto Saiki (12-6 , 1.55) BayStars : Yu Takeda (4-1 , 1.69) Hawks : Kohei Arihara (14-9 , 3.03) Fighters : Ren Fukushima (5-0 , 2.25)