Teruaki Sato of the Hanshin Tigers hits a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a game against the Hiroshima Carp at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on April 20, 2025. (Kyodo)
NISHINOMIYA, Japan (Kyodo) — Teruaki Sato homered twice and drove in six runs, leading the Hanshin Tigers to an 8-1 rout of the Hiroshima Carp on Sunday.
Sato finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 4-for-4 at Koshien Stadium. He first went deep with a runner on in the opening frame and again with two men on in the fifth.
The slugging third baseman also had an RBI double in the third and singled in the eighth.
Rookie left-hander Takato Ihara (1-0) threw five scoreless innings in his first start after six relief appearances. Shohei Mori (3-1) took the loss.
Among Sunday’s other games, Jason Vosler hit his first home run in Japan, a solo shot in the second inning, as the Chunichi Dragons blanked the DeNA BayStars 2-0.
New manager Kazuki Inoue’s team has won three games in a row for the first time this season and reached .500.
The SoftBank Hawks beat the Seibu Lions 3-1 to snap a five-game losing streak. The Lions’ winning streak ended at four.