Katsuki Azuma went seven scoreless innings on Friday, March 28 as the defending Japan Series champion Yokohama DeNA BayStars opened the 2025 NPB regular season with a 5-0 win over the Chunichi Dragons.
Azuma, who was 13-4 last season, struck out five and held the Chunichi batters to four hits on 93 pitches over seven innings before a crowd of 33,840 at Yokohama Stadium.
The 29-year-old lefty was injured late last season but returned to pick up the decision in a 4-1 win over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Game 3 of the Japan Series.
"Azuma pitched a great game and we got some timely hits from our batters," Yokohama manager Daisuke Miura said. "It was a great way to open the season."
Hiroto Takahashi started for the Dragons and gave up five runs on eight hits over five innings to take the loss.
Tyler Austin gave the BayStars a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a double to the wall in right field that allowed Shugo Maki to score from second.
"Their pitcher has always been tough on me so I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit," Austin said. "When you get pitching like we had tonight, it makes it easier to win."
BayStars Extend the Lead
Keito Mori doubled the advantage with a bloop single to left in the second inning, scoring Toshiro Miyazaki from third and the hosts made it 3-0 in the fifth on a Kouki Kajiwara single to center.
The BayStars widened the lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning on a double by Miyazaki and a sac fly by Yuudai Yamamoto.
Yasuaki Yamasaki worked a scoreless eighth and Taisei Irie retired the side in the ninth on three straight strikeouts after walking the first batter.
Irie was returning to action after missing the entire 2024 season due to surgery on his right shoulder.
BayStars Have Lofty Ambitions for 2025
Yokohama enters the new season with high expectations.
The team brought back former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer, who went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 games for DeNA in 2023.
Bauer is scheduled to make his 2025 debut on Saturday.
Yokohama won the 2024 Japan Series after finishing third in the Central League. The BayStars will be bidding for their first CL pennant in 27 years this season.
DeNA became only the second team to win the Japan Series after finishing third in the regular season and the first since the 2010 Chiba Lotte Marines.
Chunichi finished last in the CL standings in 2024 for the third straight season.
Former manager Kazuyoshi Tatsunami was replaced by Kazuki Inoue.
The team is hoping for better results in 2025 but lost left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara to the Washington Nationals in the off-season.
Two-time CL saves leader Raidel Martinez left Chunichi after the 2024 season to join the Yomiuri Giants.
Sato Powers Tigers Past Carp
In other season-opening games on Friday, Teruaki Sato hit a two-run homer in the first inning to power the Hanshin Tigers to a 4-0 win over the Hiroshima Carp.
Gakuto Wakabayashi drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th to lead the Yomiuri Giants to a 6-5 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Fighters Defeat Lions
In the Pacific League, Kotaro Kiyomiya and Franmil Reyes both hit solo homers as the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters beat the Saitama Seibu Lions 2-0.
Kenya Wakatsuki drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Orix Buffaloes edged the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 3-2.
Kyota Fujiwara, Toshiya Sato and Ryusei Ogawa knocked in two runs apiece to power the Chiba Lotte Marines to an 8-2 win over the defending Pacific League champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
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