2025 Japan Series

Japan Series

vs.

Japan Series (4-1): Softbank Hawks (87-52-4, PL) defeated the Hanshin Tigers (85-54-4, CL)

Introduction

The 2025 Japan Series was the 76th match-up of the champions of the Central League and Pacific League, Japan's top two circuits.

The Teams

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Softbank, managed by Hiroki Kokubo, was back in the Series for the second straight year. They led the PL in runs (551), fewest runs allowed (389) and record (87-52-4) but survived a major threat from the Nippon Ham Fighters in the 2025 Pacific League Climax Series. Cuban great Liván Moinelo (12-3, 1.46) led the league in ERA and Kohei Arihara (14-9, 3.03) tied for the win lead despite an ERA well above the team mark. Tomohisa Ozeki (13-5, 1.66) was another key starter. The bullpen had numerous effective hurlers like Yuki Matsumoto (5-2, 1.07, 56 K in 50 2/3 IP), Kouya Fujii (2-3, 2 Sv, 1.44, 75 K in 40 IP) and Kazuki Sugiyama (3-4, 31 Sv, 1.82, 85 K in 64 1/3 IP). 2B Taisei Makihara (.304/.317/.409) led the PL in average, OF Ukyo Shuto (.286/.357/.354, 35 SB) led in swipes and OF Tatsuru Yanagimachi (.292/.384/.376) led in walks (62). DH Kensuke Kondoh hit .301/.410/.492 but missed significant time with back problems; he was their best-hitting regular in OPS, followed by 3B Ryoya Kurihara (.267/.356/.407). 1B Hotaka Yamakawa (.226/.300/.402, 23 HR) paced the team in dingers, their only player over 12.

Hanshin Tigers

Guided by Kyuji Fujikawa, the Hanshin Tigers went 85-54-4 to pace the CL then advanced in the playoffs. They had the second-best offense in the league (3.47 R/G) but had a dominant pitching staff (2.21 ERA; every other CL team yielded 100 ore more runs than Hanshin). Hiroto Saiki (12-6, 1.55) led the league in ERA while Shoki Murakami (14-4, 2.10) led in Ks (144) and tied for the win lead. Jon Duplantier had a 6-3, 1.39 record in limited time. Daichi Ishii (1-0, 9 Sv, 0.17) allowed one run in 53 IP while Masaki Oyokawa (6-3, Sv, 0.87) and Suguru Iwazaki (1-3, 31 Sv, 2.10) were other key relievers. 3B Teruaki Sato (.277/.345/.579, 40 HR, 102 RBI) led the league in runs (83), doubles (34), homers and RBI, 1B Yusuke Ohyama (.264/.363/.396) led with 74 walks and OF Koji Chikamoto (.279/.348/.353) led in steals (32). OF Shota Morishita (.275/.350/.463, 23 HR, 89 RBI) was second on the club in OPS after Sato.

Games

Game 1

October 25 at PayPay Dome (36,882)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Hanshin Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	6	1
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	0

Tigers: Shoki Murakami W (1-0) - Masaki Oyokawa H (1) - Daichi Ishii S (1)

Hawks: Kohei Arihara L (0-1) - Kouya Fujii - Yuki Matsumoto - Kazuki Sugiyama

Home Runs

None

The hosts got on the board early. LF Yuki Yanagita, no stranger to Series success, singled off Murakami. CF Shuto hit into a force. Shuto stole second then DH Kondoh (back from injury that sidelined him in the playoffs) singled with two outs in a run. Murakami shut the door after that, allowing only four hits in the next 6 1/3 innings and not yielding a run. Last year's Game 1 star, Arihara, kept Hanshin off the board for five innings. In the 6th, CF Chikamoto singled and stole second then 2B Takumu Nakano laid down a perfect bunt to put men on the corners. RF Morishita grounded in the tying run and 3B Sato appropriately enough doubled in the winner. The Hawks got two on in the 8th but Ishii got 3B Isami Nomura to end the inning. In the 9th, Yanagita had a two-out single and Shuto reached on catcher's interference but Ishii retired RF Yanagimachi to close it out.

Game 2

October 26 at PayPay Dome (36,910)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Hanshin Tigers	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	3	6	0	0	1	0	0	0	x	10	14	0

Tigers: Jon Duplantier L (0-1) - Yuta Iwasada - Takato Ihara - Rafael Dolis - Atsuki Yuasa - Seishu Hatake

Hawks: Naoyuki Uwasawa W (1-0) - Darwinzon Hernández - Haru Matsumoto - Hikaru Kimura

Home Runs

Hawks: Hotaka Yamakawa

The Hawks gave the home fans plenty to cheer about today, but the losing team again got the first run only to be blanked for the next eight. Nakano had a one-out single off Naoyuki Uwasawa then Morishita doubled and Sato singled in the run. Hanshin would only muster four hits the rest of the day off Uwasawa, Darwinzon Hernández, Haru Matsumoto and Hikaru Kimura.

After his dominating turn in the regular season, Duplantier had a day to forget, lasting only 1 2/3 IP. Yanagita and Shuto began the game with back-to-back singles. Yanagita was caught stealing then Yanagimachi drew a walk. With two away, 3B Kurihara singled in a run and 1B Yamakawa doubled in two more. In the second, the pounding continued. 2B Makihara had a one-out walk; Duplantier retired Yanagita but that was the last batter he retired. Shuto tripled to make it 4-1, Yanagimachi walked and Kondo doubled for a 5-1 lead. Yuta Iwasada came in and plunked Kurihara, after which Yamakawa smacked a 3-run bomb for a 5-RBI day. The Hawks scored the game's final run in the 5th off Takato Ihara. Again, Yanagita and Shuto were in the midst of it, with back-to-back hits (Shuto finished with 5 hits). Yanagimachi walked and Kondoh delivered a sac fly. Shuto was the first player to get 5 hits in a game in the Nippon Series.

Game 3

October 28 at Koshien Stadium (41,594)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	6	2
Hanshin Tigers	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	0

Hawks: Liván Moinelo W (1-0) - Kouya Fujii H (1) - Yuki Matsumoto H (1) - Kazuki Sugiyama S (1)

Tigers: Hiroto Saiki L (0-1) - Masaki Oyokawa - Suguru Iwazaki - Daichi Ishii

Home Runs

Hawks: Hotaka Yamakawa (2)

With the Series moving to historic Koshien Stadium, Hanshin's offense again produced a first-inning run then mustered nothing against Softbank's talented staff. Nakano had a one-out single off Moinelo and Sato smacked a two-out RBI double to continue a solid performance in the Series. Softbank got two on in the third against Saiki in the duel of ERA leaders but failed to score. In the 4th, though, Yamakawa hit a long bomb to tie the game. Hanshin got two aboard in the 4th but stranded them. In the 6th, the visitors got the last run, with Yanagita singling, Shuto bunting him over and Yanagimachi delivering a triple to right.

In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers looked to battle back. Morishita walked and stole second then they walked Sato intentionally, bypassing Hanshin's biggest threat so far. Moinelo got Ohyama and PH Ramon Hernandez. C Seishiro Sakamoto blooped one towards center but SS Kenta Imamiya ran back to make a great catch. Hanshin challenged again in the 7th when SS Ryuhei Obata reached third before Kouya Fujii got Nakano swinging on a full count. In the 8th, Softbank blew a chance to add to their lead when Iwazaki got Kurihara with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the inning, Hanshin again had a missed opportunity. Yuki Matsumoto plunked Ohyama with two away and PH Kairi Shimada singled but Sakamoto grounded out. In the 9th, PH Seiya Kinami drew a one-out walk and Chikamoto singled off Sugiyama but he got Nakano and Morishita to end it.

Game 4

October 29 at Koshien Stadium (41,594)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	3	9	3
Hanshin Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	6	0

Hawks: Ryosuke Ohtsu W (1-0) - Kouya Fujii H (2) - Darwinzon Hernández H (1) - Yuki Matsumoto H (2) - Kazuki Sugiyama S (2)

Tigers: Haruto Takahashi L (0-1) - Seishu Hatake - Takuma Kirishiki - Rafael Dolis - Daichi Ishii

Home Runs

Hawks: Hotaka Yamakawa (3)

It was another one-run win on the road for the Hawks, who again rode strong pitching. Yamakawa also kept up his hot streak, becoming the 6th NPB player to homer in three straight Series games, taking Haruto Takahashi deep in the second. In the 5th, Ryosuke Ohtsu helped his own cause by drawing a walk (he had not batted at all during the regular season, and he just got his first career hit in the 3rd inning) and Yanagita and Shuto kept it up with back-to-back singles. Seishu Hatake relieved and yielded a sacrifice fly to Yanagimachi then walked Yamakawa but got Kurihara to prevent further harm. In the 6th, Makihara had a one-out single off Takuma Kirishiki and was bunted over, then came home on a pinch-hit single by Kondoh. Ohtsu had yielded just 3 hits in 5 shutout innings then turned the game over to his bullpen. After scoreless frames by Fujii and Hernández, Softbank turned to Yuki Matsumoto. Chikamoto greeted him with a single and Nakano walked. With one out, Sato kept up his RBI streak with a single then Ohyama grounded in a run to close it to 3-2. Matsumoto retired LF Ukyo Maegawa to stop the comeback then Sugiyama had a 1-2-3 9th to put the Hawks one win from the title.

Game 5

October 30 at Koshien Stadium (41,606)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	3	10	0
Hanshin Tigers	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	1

Hawks: Kohei Arihara - Darwinzon Hernández - Haru Matsumoto - Kouya Fujii H (3) - Kazuki Sugiyama W (1-0) - Yuki Matsumoto S (1)

Tigers: Kotaro Otake - Masaki Oyokawa H (2) - Daichi Ishii - Suguru Iwazaki H (1) - Shoki Murakami L (1-1)

Home Runs

Hawks: Tatsuru Yanagimachi, Isami Nomura

Hanshin got swept at home, all three games being decided by a single run, as Softbank locked up the Series. Arihara and Hanshin's Kotaro Otake combine to retire the first ten batters today. Sato singled with one out in the 2nd for the game's first baserunner but was caught stealing. That mistake proved crucial as Ohyama walked, LF Nozomu Takatera had a two-out walk and Sakamoto singled in a run. Otake remained perfect for 4 2/3 IP. In the bottom of the 5th, he helped his own cause with a single then Chikamoto singled as well. With two away, Sato singled off Hernández to make it 2-0. This time, Sato stole successfully to put two men in scoring position but Ohyama struck out. Haru Matsumoto, Fujii, Sugiyama and Yuki Matsumoto would handcuff Hanshin's hitters for the next six innings, allowing only two hits and a walk.

Following seven shutout innings by Otake and Oyokawa, Hanshin turned to Ichii, who had given up only one run in the regular season. C Hiroki Minei greeted him with a single then Yanagimachi cracked a crucial game-tying dinger. They got two more runners on to set up former Series MVP Kurihara, but he was retired. With one out in the 10th, Shuto reached on an error and Series MVP Yamakawa singled off Murakami but Kurihara was again stopped in a key situation. In the 11th, Nomura homered to the opposite field for a 3-2 lead. Sato continued his fine work (other than the caught-stealing) with a walk to open the bottom of the frame but was stranded when Yuki Matsumoto got Ohyama, Kinami and Takaetera in order.

Sources

• Official site
• Japan Times