Pacific League TV (English) LIVE STREAM Sunday 25 May 14:00 Japan Time 1:00am Eastern 10:00pm (Saturday) Pacific Kamoike Ballpark in Kagoshima SoftBank Hawks vs Orix Buffaloes Weather will be overcast but no rain expected.
Sunday 25 May Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2025-05-25 Eagles-Fighters finished tied after 12 innings
Hiroki Tokoda threw his third complete game shutout of the season - his fourth complete game overall - as the Hiroshima Carp blanked the Yokohama BayStars 3-0. Tokoda allowed just five hits with no walks and struck out 8 in earning his fifth win of the year. All three runs were scored in the 3rd inning on doubles by Sandro Fabian (two RBIs) and Shogo Sakakura. Yutaro Sugimoto went 3-for-5 with six RBIs including a three-run home run to power the Orix Buffaloes to a 13-5 triumph over the SoftBank Hawks in Kagoshima. Ryōma Nishikawa also homered for the Buffaloes who pounded out 15 hits total during the destruction. Yuma Tongu led all hitters with four hits on the day.
BATTING *To qualify: 3.1 plate appearances per the number of games played by that player's club Average .33088 - Seiya Watanabe (Lions) .33082 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) .323 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .293 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) .292 - Ryoma Nishikawa (Buffaloes) On-Base Percentage .387 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .374 - Akira Nakamura (Hawks) .371 - Yuki Nomura (Fighters) .360 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) .3550 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) .3546 - Seiya Watanabe (Lions) OPS .871 - Yuki Nomura (Fighters) .844 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) .840 - Seiya Watanabe (Lions) .821 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) .814 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) Home Runs 9 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) 9 - Chusei Mannami (Fighters) 8 - Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) 7 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) 6 - Yuki Nomura (Fighters) 6 - Neftali Soto (Marines) RBIs 26 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) 25 - Franmil Reyes (Fighters) 25 - Chusei Mannami (Fighters) 25 - Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) 22 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) AVG with RISP .385 - Ryo Ohta (Buffaloes) .342 - Tyler Nevin (Lions) .342 - Keita Nakagawa (Buffaloes) .333 - Yuma Tongu (Buffaloes) .333 - Yuki Nomura (Fighters) .333 - Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) Stolen Bases 14 - Hiroto Kobukata (Eagles) 11 - Manaya Nishikawa (Lions) 7 - Ukyo Shuto (Hawks) 7 - Daisuke Nakashima (Eagles) 7 - Yūsuke Mugitani (Buffaloes) 7 - Ryota Isobata (Fighters) 7 - Ryosuke Tatsumi (Eagles) PITCHING *To qualify: Minimum innings equal to the number of games played by that pitcher's club. ERA 0.65 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 1.19 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 1.55 - Koki Kitayama (Fighters) 1.69 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 1.86 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) WHIP 0.72 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 0.86 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 0.89 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 0.91 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) 0.92 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) Innings pitched 69.0 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 61.0 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 60.1 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 59.1 - Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) 58.0 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) Strikeouts 71 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 62 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 56 - Hiroya Miyagi (Buffaloes) 53 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 50 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) Wins 6 - Chihiro Sumida (Lions) 5 - Tatsuya Imai (Lions) 5 - Liván Moinelo (Hawks) 5 - Hiromi Itoh (Fighters) 4 - 4 players tied Holds 15 - Yuki Matsumoto (Hawks) 12 - Trey Wingenter (Lions) 12 - Takahide Ikeda (Fighters) 12 - Ryusei Kawano (Fighters) 11 - Luis Perdomo (Buffaloes) Saves 11 - Kaima Taira (Lions) 8 - Seigi Tanaka (Fighters) 7 - Andrés Machado (Buffaloes) 7 - Roberto Osuna (Hawks) 5 - Takahiro Norimoto (Eagles)
BATTING *To qualify: 3.1 plate appearances per the number of games played by that player's club Average .315 - Sandro Fabian (Carp) .305 - Takumu Nakano (Tigers) .300 - Naoki Yoshikawa (Giants) .294 - Shugo Maki (BayStars) .294 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) On-Base Percentage .384 - Takumu Nakano (Tigers) .381 - Domingo Santana (Swallows) .364 - Takuya Kai (Giants) .357 - Naoki Yoshikawa (Giants) .355 - Eigoro Mogi (Swallows) OPS .950 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) .844 - Shugo Maki (BayStars) .8032 - Sandro Fabian (Carp) .8028 - Shota Suekane (Carp) .801 - Trey Cabbage (Giants) Home Runs 12 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) 8 - Kazuma Okamoto (Giants) 7 - Shugo Maki (BayStars) 7 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) 6 - Trey Cabbage (Giants) 6 - Shota Suekane (Carp) RBIs 34 - Teruaki Sato (Tigers) 32 - Shota Morishita (Tigers) 31 - Shugo Maki (BayStars) 31 - Shota Suekane (Carp) 25 - Kazuma Okamoto (Giants) AVG with RISP .424 - Shota Suekane (Carp) .413 - Keita Sano (BayStars) .371 - Kaito Kozono (Carp) .364 - Yuta Izuguchi (Giants) .361 - Shugo Maki (BayStars) Stolen Bases 10 - Koji Chikamoto (Tigers) 8 - Seiji Uebayashi (Dragons) 8 - Masaki Mimori (BayStars) 7 - Takumu Nakano (Tigers) 7 - Yūki Okabayashi (Dragons) PITCHING *To qualify: Minimum innings equal to the number of games played by that pitcher's club. ERA 1.10 - Anthony Kay (BayStars) 1.21 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 1.27 - Andre Jackson (BayStars) 1.60 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) 1.67 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) WHIP 0.85 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 0.87 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 0.92 - Masato Morishita (Carp) 0.94 - Yuji Akahoshi (Giants) 0.97 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) Innings pitched 67.1 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) 64.2 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 64.0 - Masato Morishita (Carp) 58.2 - Takahiro Matsuba (Dragons) 55.0 - Trevor Bauer (BayStars) Strikeouts 50 - Trevor Bauer (BayStars) 49 - Haruto Inoue (Giants) 48 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 45 - Masato Morishita (Carp) 44 - 3 players tied Wins 6 - Shoki Murakami (Tigers) 5 - Iori Yamasaki (Giants) 5 - Taisei Ota (Giants) 5 - Hiroki Tokoda (Carp) 5 - Katsuki Azuma (BayStars) 5 - Takahiro Matsuba (Dragons) Holds 14 - Daichi Ishii (Tigers) 14 - Taisei Ota (Giants) 13 - Tatsuya Shimizu (Dragons) 12 - Kota Nakagawa (Giants) 12 - Eito Tanaka (Giants) Saves 18 - Raidel Martínez (Giants) 17 - Shinya Matsuyama (Dragons) 12 - Suguru Iwazaki (Tigers) 9 - Taichi Ishiyama (Swallows) 9 - Taisei Irie (BayStars)
Tuesday 27 May Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2025-05-27 Tigers-BayStars went 11 innings
Shota Morishita drew a bases loaded walk in the 11th inning to give the Hanshin Tigers a sayonara 1-0 win over the Yokohama BayStars. Strikeouts were the name of the game as the two teams combined to fan out 27 times. 11 players were each punched out twice. The Tigers were the more guilty party, striking out on 15 occasions. 12 of those Ks were tossed by BayStars starter Trevor Bauer who increased his punch out total to a Central League-leading 62 for the season. Played at Muscat Stadium in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, the game was one of three NPB contests played at 'countryside' ballparks on Tuesday night. At Alpen Stadium in Toyama, a bases loaded single from Kaito Kozono in the 4th inning produced enough runs needed to give the Hiroshima Carp a 2-1 victory over the Yomiuri Giants. Carp starting pitcher Shōgo Tamamura tossed 5 innings to earn his second win of the year. Giants starter Haruto Inoue recorded 7 strikeouts over 7 frames but had to accept the loss. 36 year old Yoshihiro Maru made his season debut with a first-pitch pinch hit single in the 9th inning. 2025 was the first time in 15 years that the veteran Maru did not begin the season on the first team roster after having injured his right biceps while running the bases during Spring Training. Yakult Swallows 2-1 Chunichi Dragons Seiji Kawagoe's high launch near the right field pole was initially ruled foul by the umpires. After video review, what do you think?
Itsuki Murabayashi scored the go-ahead run off a wild pitch in the 8th inning and delivered an insurance run with a bases loaded single in the 9th to help the Rakuten Eagles to a 3-1 win over the Seibu Lions in Maebashi. Kona Takahashi had another good outing for Seibu despite not getting the win, allowing just one unearned run over 7 strong innings. Tyler Nevin had put the Lions in front in the 4th with a solo home run, his fourth bomb of the year. The roof was expensively opened at the Mizuho PayPay Dome where the Nipponham Fighters scored late to run out 5-2 victors over the SoftBank Hawks. Hiromi Itoh threw 7 innings to earn his sixth win of the year while Kotaro Kiyomiya slugged his fourth home run.. 2023 WBC teammates Ukyo Shuto and Hotaka Yamakowa each hit solo homers in the 5th inning to account for the Hawks lone runs.
Ukyo Shuto lined a single into the corner of right field to score pinch runner Riku Ogata from second base and give the SoftBank Hawks a 2-1 sayonara win over the Nipponham Fighters. Veteran Cuban southpaw Livan Moinelo dealt a strong 8 innings allowing five hits and one walk while striking out 8. He is now 6-0 on the year. The contest marked the fourth and last time that the Mizuho PayPay Dome will have its retractable roof opened for a Hawks game this season. Pinch runner Ryōto Kita scored from second base on Yūsuke Mugitani's single to right as the Orix Buffaloes defeated the Lotte Marines 2-1 in Chiba. Closer Andrés Machado surrendered a lead off single in the last half of the 9th but managed to hold on to earn his eighth save of the year.
1st inning home runs from Riku Masuda and Trey Cabbage led the Yomiuri Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Hiroshima Carp at Ishikawa Prefectural Ballpark in Kanazawa. Iori Yamasaki struck out 7 batters over 6-1/3 innings for his sixth win of the year. Koji Chikamoto's RBI bloop single to shallow left field was enough to give the Hanshin Tigers a second consecutive 1-0 victory over the Yokohama BayStars. The BayStars struggles at runs support this season was evidence throughout Wednesday night's game as they left 13 runners on base, 10 in scoring position.
A solo home run in the 4th inning by Shugo Maki ended a 34 inning scoreless run for the Yokohama BayStars who went onto defeat the Hanshin Tigers 5-1 in the final game of their midweek series. Second year infielder Taiki Ishikami went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the 7th inning to help lead the BayStars offense. Andre Jackson struck out 6 batters over 7 innings to improve his record to 5-1. The Chunichi Dragons scored six runs over the first 3 innings while Kyle Muller pitched 7 stellar frames in the team's 6-0 shutout win over the Yakult Swsallows. Kaito Muramatsu and Seiji Uebayashi each contributed with home runs. For Uebayashi it was his sixth bomb of the year and it was the first for Muramatsu this season. Following Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Swallows, the Dragons sent a written protest to NPB over Seiji Kawagoe's fly ball that sailed near the right field pole and was ruled foul after video replay. It was revealed before Thursday's game that the protest was not accepted by NPB since the rules do not allow protests on replay decisions.
Maikel Franco had three RBIs including a two-run home run and Itsuki Murabayashi drove in two more runs to help lead the Rakuten Eagles to a 6-3 win over the Seibu Lions. Seibu's Tyler Nevin, who turned 28 on Thursday, celebrated with two RBIs which ties him for the Pacific League lead with 26 on the year.
Franmil Reyes and Chusei Mannami each hit their 10th home runs of the season to help lead the Nipponham Fighters to a 4-1 victory over the Lotte Marines at Es Con Field Hokkaido. The two sluggers lead the Pacific League in the home run category. 21 year old Kota Tatsu pitched 6-2/3 shutout innings to earn his second win in three outings this year. Marines prospect Daito Yamamoto homered off Nipponham's 20 year old Taiwanese reliever Sun Yi-Lei to produce the visitors' only scoring. The SoftBank Hawks scored thrice in the 8th inning to earn a comeback 4-2 win over the Rakuten Eagles in Sendai. The Hawks were able to bat around the lineup in the inning as Eagles relievers Sora Suzuki and Masaya Nishigaki struggled to find the plate, walking a combined five batters and allowing one run to score off a wild pitch. Rakuten out-hit the victors 12-10 in a game that was delayed by rain in the 7th inning.
Shugo Maki blasted his ninth home run of the year and Yasutaka Tobashira launched his first as the Yokohama Baystars dispatched the Yakult Swallows 6-2 at Hamasta. Toshiro Miyazaki also drove in two runs for the BayStars while Shinichi Ohnuki allowed one run over 7 innings for his first win of the season. Meanwhile for the last placed Swallows, there are reports that slugger Munetaka Murakami is considering to delay his posting in order to rebuild his stock to possibly receive a better deal. Murakami has played in only one game this season, missing time while struggling with upper body fitness. The timetable of his return is still undecided and the player is said to be considering staying in japan for one more year or possibly signing a less lucrative contract in MLB and get used to the league before going for the bigger payday via free agency. The Swallows are hoping to convince him to stay, both because they're looking to rebound after what's looking to be a lost season and because they want a fair price for his posting. But they have also stated they will not stand in his way if he does decide to leave.
Saturday 31 May Boxscores: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/schedule/?date=2025-05-31 Buffaloes-Lions went 11 innings Eagles-Hawks postponed (rain)
A two-out solo home run by Tomoya Noguchi gave the Orix Buffaloes a sayonara 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions. The eagerly anticipated pitching matchup between Orix's Hiroya Miyagi and Seibu's Tatsuya Imai lived up to its billing as each ace allowed just two earned runs over 7 innings. Miyagi struck out 10 over 113 pitches while Imai added 7 Ks to his NPB leading total which is now at 78. Ryoma Nishikawa's two-run double in the 5th inning was matched by Shuta Tonosaki's two-RBI single in the 7th. With the game taking place at Hotto Motto Field in Kobe, the Buffaloes wore throwback uniforms of the Orix BlueWave, the former tenants of Kobe Sports Ballpark who merged with the Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka in 2004 to form the current Orix Buffaloes. Ichiro Suzuki, who spent nine seasons (1992-2000) with the BlueWave before moving on to a Hall of Fame career in MLB, addressed the crowd with a video message before the start of the game. The Nipponham Fighters scored three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Lotte Marines 4-3. Yuya Gunji capped off the game with a walk off single to the corner of right field, his third sayonara hit of the year and just two shy of tying the all-time single season record of 5
Kotaro Otake tossed 7-1/3 innings of shutout ball to help lead the Hanshin Tigers to a 2-0 win over the Hiroshima Carp at Mazda Stadium. Carp ace Hiroki Tokoda turned in a brilliant performance allowing just two hits and two walks over 8 innings, but Seiya Kinami's two out double in the 5th scored Ramon Hernández from first base with what ultimately turned out to be the game winning run. A two-out two-RBI triple from Yutaro Itayama in the 8th inning completed a 4-2 comeback victory for the Chunichi Dragons over the Yomiuri Giants in Nagoya. The two starting pitchers each allowed two earned runs over 7 good innings with Yomiuri's Foster Griffin striking out 8 batters and Chunichi's Hiroto Takahashi fanning 7. Neither figured into the decisions.
Keita Sano had three RBIs including a game-winning RBI double in the 8th inning to give the Yokohama BayStars a 3-2 win over the Yakult Swallows. Sano also homered as did Yakult's leadoff batter Takumi Kitamura, who parked Trevor Bauer's first pitch of the game into the left field bleachers. Bauer allowed two earned runs over 8 innings to even his record at 4-4. Teruaki Sato connected for his NPB-leading 13th home run of the year in the Hanshin Tigers 8-0 destruction of the Hiroshima Carp.
Keisuke Nakata beat Yuma Tongu's throw home in the top of the 9th inning to give the Seibu Lions a 3-2 win over the Orix BlueWave Buffaloes in Kobe. The late run denied Orix starter Ryuhei Sotani of a win despite a stellar 8 inning performance that saw him allow just three hits and two walks with 7 strikeouts over 8 innings. Taishi Hirooka's two-run home run produced the home team's scoring. Franmil Reyes settled a scoreless game with a Sayonara solo home run in the 9th inning as the Nipponham Fighters completed the weekend series sweep over the Lotte Marines. Reyes leads the Pacific League with 11 bombs on the year.