NISHINOMIYA, Japan – Shoki Murakami worked five shutout innings as the Hanshin Tigers blanked the DeNA BayStars 2-0 to win Game 1 of the Central League Climax Series final stage on Wednesday.
The CL pennant winner Tigers, who entered the best-of-seven series holding a one-win advantage as well as having the benefit of all the games being played at their Koshien Stadium, are now two wins away from the Japan Series.
Murakami, who allowed five hits, two walks and a hit batsman, prevailed in a battle of the CL’s win leaders this year with DeNA starter Katsuki Azuma despite putting the BayStars in scoring position in four of the five innings he pitched.
The right-hander loaded the bases in the first but got Yudai Yamamoto to ground out to end the inning. He also struck out the DeNA catcher swinging in the third and got him to ground out in the fifth, stranding two runners on both occasions.
Azuma (0-1) had less trouble over the first five innings but gave up the game’s only runs in the sixth after Koji Chikamoto had an infield single, reached second on a sacrifice bunt and stole third.
Shota Morishita singled to center to drive in the opening run with one out and Dan Onodera also singled, this time to right, with two outs to double the Tigers’ lead, chasing Azuma at the same time.
Masaki Oyokawa earned the win after tossing 1-2/3 scoreless innings for the Tigers, with Daichi Ishii, who this season set a Nippon Professional Baseball record of tossing 50 straight scoreless innings, and Suguru Iwazaki also keeping the BayStars off the board.
In the Pacific League, the pennant winner SoftBank Hawks walked off 2-1 winners over the Nippon Ham Fighters on Hotaka Yamakawa’s bases-loaded single to left in the 10th.