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Old 06-28-2020, 07:48 PM   #64
tehsuigi
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Join Date: Sep 2019
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Climax Series Game Summaries
Note that the Orix Buffaloes start the series with a one-game headstart.

Game 1: Orix 5, Shizuoka 2
Buffaloes second baseman Naoki Yoshikawa hit a towering home run off Arrows reliever Colby White in the 8th inning to give the Buffaloes a 3-2 lead, after Shizuoka fought back to tie the game off the bat of Seiya Yamazaki.
Shizuoka starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled with his control this game, walking 5 but limiting the damage to 2 earned runs on 3 hits over 6 innings. Orix reliever Taisho Tamai (a former Arrow) blew the save but got the win.

Game 2: Orix 9, Shizuoka 8
This one was a barnstormer - Shizuoka exploded for four runs in the top of the 3rd, with 1B Toby Welk getting a two-run knock, but Arrows starter Daichi Ishii melted down, yielding six earned runs on eight hits and two walks, failing to get out of the 3rd inning. The Arrows fought back to tie the game in the top of the seventh, with a throwing error by Orix catcher Xavier Valentin scoring a run and Toby Welk's sac fly adding another. It was Buffaloes LF Masataka Yoshida with an RBI single off left-hander Kakeru Narita to put the Buffaloes back in front, and the Arrows on the brink of elimination.

Game 3: Shizuoka 4, Orix 0
One way to make sure your bullpen doesn't blow the lead in the 8th is to have your starter stay in. Shizuoka's right-handed rookie Michito Nakayama threw a masterful game, going 8 scoreless innings allowing only three singles and a walk, and striking out seven on 85 pitches. Colby White pitched a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.
Orix's starter Andrew Karp went seven scoreless with 9 strikeouts against five hits and no walks, but reliever Taisho Tamai gave up a 2-run shot to DH Atsunori Nishiyama with two outs in the top of the 8th to take the loss. Arrows SS Toyoharu Miyake would hadd a solo home run, and RF Mike Collymore would tack on an RBI as well.

Game 4: Orix 6, Shizuoka 2
That's all she wrote - the Buffaloes are going back to the Japan Series.
Shizuoka's starter Takahide Ikeda failed to get out of the 3rd, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. Naoki Yoshikawa's 2-run 2-out triple was a back-breaker, and Shin Hiraoka's 3-run 2-out home run in the 3rd was the death knell for this season.
Arrows CF Shizue Uchino's 2 run home run in the 4th would be the extent of the offense from Shizuoka, as they were limited to only three hits against Orix starter Masonori Koizumi and closer Takahiro Nishimura.

Orix left fielder Masataka Yoshida earned series MVP honours with his 5 hits (2 HR) and 4 RBI over the four game series.

The Orix Buffaloes will play the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the Japan Series.

EDIT: The Tokyo Yakult Swallows won their first Japan Series in 25 years by beating the Buffaloes in 5. Buffaloes RF Koji Kimura took home series MVP honours in a losing cause with a .409/.435/.773 slash line over 22 AB.
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Last edited by tehsuigi; 06-28-2020 at 08:04 PM.
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