2014 Japan Series

65th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series 2014 JS logo.png Japan 2014 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (4) Koji Akiyama 78–60–6, (.565), GA: 6.5 Hanshin Tigers (1) Yutaka Wada 75–68–1, (.524), GB: 7 October 25–30 Seiichi Uchikawa (Fukuoka) Randy Messenger (Hanshin) The 2014 Japan Series (known as the SMBC Nippon Series 2014 for sponsorship reasons) was the 65th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) championship series known colloquially as the Japan Series. The best-of-seven playoff was won by the Pacific League champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in five games over the Central League champion Hanshin Tigers. The series began on Saturday, October 25, 2014, and ended on Thursday, October 30, 2014, at the Fukuoka Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture.http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/10/31/baseball/japanese-baseball/hawks-eliminate-tigers-bizarre-game-ending-double-play-capture-japan-series-title/ Hawks eliminate Tigers on bizarre game-ending double play, capture Japan Series title October 30, 2014 The Japan Times Coskrey, Jason October 31, 2014 Climax Series 2014 Central League Climax Series 2014 Pacific League Climax Series 200 First Stage Final Stage Japan Series Central League Pacific League 2 Hanshin Tigers 1 3 Hiroshima Toyo Carp 0 2 Orix Buffaloes 1 3 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 2 1 Yomiuri Giants 1 2 Hanshin Tigers 4 1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4 3 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 3 CL2 Hanshin Tigers 1 PL1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4 Summary Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4–1 October 25 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 2, Hanshin Tigers – 6 Koshien Stadium 3:26 45,293 http://bis.npb.or.jp/eng/2014/games/s2014102501770.html Saturday, October 25, 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball October 26, 2014 October 26 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 2, Hanshin Tigers – 1 Koshien Stadium 2:57 45,259 http://bis.npb.or.jp/eng/2014/games/s2014102601771.html Sunday, October 26, 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball October 27, 2014 October 28 Hanshin Tigers – 1, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 5 Fukuoka Dome 3:30 35,527 http://bis.npb.or.jp/eng/2014/games/s2014102801772.html Tuesday, October 28, 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball October 28, 2014 October 29 Hanshin Tigers – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 5 (10) Fukuoka Dome 3:56 35,861 http://bis.npb.or.jp/eng/2014/games/s2014102901773.html Wednesday, October 29, 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball October 29, 2014 October 30 Hanshin Tigers – 0, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 1 Fukuoka Dome 3:31 36,068 http://bis.npb.or.jp/eng/2014/games/s2014103001774.html Thursday, October 30, 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball October 30, 2014 Game summaries Game 1 thumb|upright|Matt Murton (left) and Mauro Gómez drove in two and three, respectively, of the Tigers' five runs in their Game 1 victory. Saturday, October 25, 2014, 6:17 pm (JST) Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture SoftBank SBH 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 6 0 Hanshin HAN 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 X 6 9 1 Randy Messenger (1–0) Jason Standridge (0–1) After three scoreless innings, the Hanshin Tigers took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hiroki Uemoto hit a single into center field then moved to second on a groundout by Takashi Toritani. Mauro Gómez then drove Uemoto in with an RBI double off of Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' starting pitcher Jason Standridge. Standridge lasted until the fifth inning where he loaded the bases with two outs. Gómez, Matt Murton and Kosuke Fukudome then connected for three consecutive hits scoring the Tigers' remaining five runs. Tigers' starting pitcher Randy Messenger pitched through the seventh inning and got the win. Messenger loaded the bases twice in the sixth inning but was able to hold them to only one run on a Lee Dae-ho sacrifice fly. He was touched up again in the seventh innings for one run on a Yuki Yanagita RBI single but the two runs weren't enough to overcome the Hawks' six-run deficit.http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/10/25/baseball/japanese-baseball/fifth-inning-outburst-carries-tigers-game-1-triumph-hawks/ Fifth-inning outburst carries Tigers to Game 1 triumph over Hawks October 27, 2014 The Japan Times Coskrey, Jason October 25, 2014 Game 2 thumb|upright|Hawks' starter Shota Takeda pitched seven innings of one-run ball to earn a win in Game 2. Sunday, October 26, 2014, 6:18 pm (JST) Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture SoftBank SBH 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 Hanshin HAN 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 0 Shota Takeda (1–0) Atsushi Nomi (0–1) Dennis Sarfate (1) Lee Dae-ho (1) In Game 2, Hawks' starter Shota Takeda earned a win by giving up only one run in seven innings pitched. Retiring the first 17 batters he faced, Takeda had a perfect game going into the sixth inning until he gave up a two-out single. Also in that inning, Tsuyoshi Nishioka's double drove in the Tigers only run of the game. Relief pitchers Ryota Igarashi and Dennis Sarfate followed up Takeda by pitching scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. The scoring began in the top of the first inning when the Hawks' Yuki Yanagita singled to center and reached second on a Kenta Imamiya sacrifice bunt. A double by Seiichi Uchikawa then drove in Yanagita giving the Hawks the lead before Takeda ever took the mound. The Hawks got an important insurance run in the fourth inning when Lee Dae-ho hit a home run to score what would prove to be the game-winning run.http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/10/26/baseball/japanese-baseball/takeda-delivers-stellar-outing-game-2-victorious-hawks/ Takeda delivers stellar outing in Game 2 for victorious Hawks October 26, 2014 The Japan Times Coskrey, Jason October 25, 2014 Game 3 thumb|upright|Kenji Otonari pitched seven shutout innings to earn a Game 3 win for the Hawks. Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 6:32 pm (JST) Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture Hanshin HAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 SoftBank SBH 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 X 5 10 0 Kenji Otonari (1–0) Shintaro Fujinami (0–1) The Hawks took a two-games-to-one lead in the Series behind a dominant pitching performance by starter Kenji Otonari. Pitching seven shutout innings, Otonari gave up only three hits, while striking out six and walking one. For the second straight game the Hawks scored a run in the first inning. Just like in Game 2, Yanagita led off the first inning with a hit, was moved ahead by a sacrifice bunt, and then was driven in by a double from Uchikawa. Later, when Yuki Yoshimura drew a walk to start the bottom of the fourth inning, he was bunted to second and then scored from there on a wild pitch thrown by Shintaro Fujinami. The scoring continued in the sixth when Uchikawa collected another RBI along with two more from Lee. The only scoring for the Tigers occurred in the ninth inning when Toritani drove in a run on an RBI single off of reliever Sarfate.http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/10/28/baseball/japanese-baseball/otonari-leads-hawks-game-3-win/ Otonari leads Hawks to Game 3 win October 29, 2014 The Japan Times Coskrey, Jason October 28, 2014 Game 4 thumb|upright|Akira Nakamura hit a three-run walk-off home run in the tenth inning to give the Hawks a Game 4 win. Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 6:30 pm (JST) Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture Hanshin HAN 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 SoftBank SBH 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3X 5 7 0 Dennis Sarfate (1–0) Yuya Ando (0–1) Akira Nakamura (1) Game 5 Thursday, October 30, 2014, 6:33 pm (JST) Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture Hanshin HAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 SoftBank SBH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 X 1 9 0 Ryota Igarashi (1–0) Randy Messenger (1–1) Dennis Sarfate (2) The game remained scoreless until the 8th inning. With tiring Hanshin starter Randy Messenger still in the game, runners were on 1st and 3rd with two out and SoftBank 3rd baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda at the plate. With a full count and runners off with the pitch, Matsuda lined a single to center field on the 8th pitch of the at-bat, which scored Yuki Yanagita. In the top of the 9th, SoftBank closer Sarfate loaded the bases with 1 out and Hanshin shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka at-bat. Nishioka hit a ground ball to first. The ball was cleanly fielded and thrown to SoftBank catcher Toru Hosokawa for the force out at home. Hosokawa then quickly threw back to first to try and complete the double play that would end the game. However, his throw went wide. The error allowed Hanshin to score the tying run, but the umpires convened after Hosokawa protested the play. Nishioka was called out on interference, which completed the double play and ended the game with a 1–0 score line. See also 2014 Korean Series 2014 World Series References 2014 Category:2014 Nippon Professional Baseball season Category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks postseason Category:Hanshin Tigers postseason Category:October 2014 sports events in Japan