The regular season '20 Game Cha' Yokohama, where the two teams dream of a major turnaround on the slanted field, look at the Chiba Lotte in 2010
Oct 23, 2024
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They clash with the Pacific League's Softbank Hawks ahead of the top. It is the first Japan Series return match in seven years following 2017.
Seven years ago, Softbank lifted the trophy with 4 wins and 2 losses. It was the series that marked the beginning of the Japan Series championship for four consecutive years until 2020.
It's two teams that are contrasting in many ways. Softbank is a team that seeks to win the championship by increasing its power through aggressive investments every year. They are the strongest teams in both leagues in the Japanese professional baseball this season. He led from the beginning of the season and ranked first in four years. He won 91 games (three draws and 49 losses) and recorded a winning rate of 650. The gap with the second-place Nippon Ham Fighters widened to 13.5 games. Coach Hiroki Kokubo even set a new record for the most wins in his first year at the helm.
He started with one win in the league's No. 1 advantage and easily passed the Climax Series Final Stage (best-of-four). It has won three consecutive games without losing a single game to Nippon Ham. It confirmed the superiority of overwhelming power.
The best players in the batting are concentrated in Softbank. Right-hander Kohei Arihara ranked first in multiple wins (14 wins), and left-hander Rivan Moinello, who moved from the bullpen to the starting pitcher, ranked first in ERA (1.88). The fourth batter, Hotaka Yamakawa, has 34 home runs and 99 RBIs. Kondo Kenske, who was the home run and RBI king last year, won the batting champion (31.14 percent). He hit .300 alone in the Pacific League.
Yokohama, on the other hand, was soaring on the wind. Hovering around fourth place until mid-to-late pennant races, he brought down Hiroshima Carp. I benefited from the shocking crash of Hiroshima. 71 wins, 3 draws and 69 losses, and a winning rate of .507. There are fewer '20 wins' than SoftBank.
It came up frighteningly. He won two consecutive games against the Hanshin Tigers, who are ranked second in the league, and the Climax Series First Stage (best of two games). In the final stage, he even collapsed the No. 1 Yomiuri Giants. After three consecutive wins, he fell back to two consecutive losses and finished in Game 6. He was dragged 0-2 and tied it 2-2 and scored the winning run in the ninth inning to win 3-2.
Director Miura who led the series. He is a Yokohama legend who posted a career '172 wins'. In an interview right after Game 6 of the Final Stage, he said, `I didn't think about the Japan Series. I'll do my best again" Every game was a cliffhanger.
Yokohama had eight wins, one draw and 16 losses against Yomiuri in the regular season, and 11 wins, one draw and 13 losses against Hanshin. He dashed expectations of inferiority. It produced an exciting autumn drama.
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The regular-season ride between the two teams is noticeable. It is the largest number of rides between the two teams faced in the Japan Series ever. Coincidentally, Softbank and Yokohama ranked second in history in 2017. Yokohama, led by head coach Alex Ramirez, was 18.5 games behind Softbank that year. Seven years ago, Yokohama lost three consecutive games and won two in a row. They lost Game 6 3-4. He had a walk-off loss in the 11th inning of extra time at 3-3.
All data point to 'SoftBank Win'. But Yokohama has nothing to lose. If you look at the momentum shown this fall, you may be able to draw a different picture. Various variables are involved in the postseason short-term game. That was the case with the Chiba Lotte Mariz in 2010. Starting in third place, he brought down second-place Seibu Lions and Softbank. Beat the Chunichi Dragons to complete the series of demagogues.
Yokohama's strength is its attack power. He ranked first in the Central League team batting average (0.256) and scoring (522 points). The team came in second after Yakult Swallows in homers. Kokubo was wary of Yokohama center-hitting line, which will lead to no. 2 Maki Shugo, no. 3 Keita Sano, and no. 4 Taylor Austin.
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Softbank is an autumn baseball team. He won the Japan Series seven times in 10 years from 2011 to 2020. From 2019 to 2020, he won all four games against Yomiuri in a row. Yokohama has not been on top since 1998.
huelva@sportschosun.com
