The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks never trailed in Game 4 of the Japan Series on Wednesday night, October 29.
Hotaka Yamakawa hit a solo home run to lead off the second inning, and the Hawks scored a run in the fifth and another in the sixth in a 3-2 victory over the Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium.
Yamakawa, who had 23 round-trippers in the regular season, homered for the third consecutive game.
It was SoftBank's third straight win in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is on Thursday at the same venue.
"Looking back won't change anything," Tigers manager Kyuji Fujikawa said, according to The Sankei Shimbun. "It's all about winning three games. Tomorrow we go for the first one. That's our only option."
Strong Pitching Lifts the Hawks in the Japan Series
The Hawks moved to the brink of their first Japan Series title since 2020 with another stellar pitching performance. After winning Sunday's Game 2 by a 10-1 margin, they triumphed 2-1 on Tuesday.
In Game 4, SoftBank starter Ryosuke Otsu tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits. He fanned three batters and walked one. Four relievers pitched an inning apiece, including Kazuki Sugiyama in the ninth, to seal the win.
The 26-year-old Otsu went 6-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 12 games during the regular season.
"It was colder than I expected, but I managed to work around it and execute my pitches," Otsu said, according to The Sankei Shimbun.
Hanshin scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, including an RBI single by 2025 NPB home-run leader Teruaki Sato, to pull within a run.
Tigers starter Haruto Takahashi allowed six hits and two runs in 4⅓ innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Game Notes
Tigers leadoff man Koji Chikamoto and No 3 hitter Shota Morishita had two hits apiece. The rest of the Hanshin lineup combined for two hits.
An announced crowd of 41,591 attended Game 4.
RELATED:
- Japan Series: The Hawks Pull Even with a 10-1 Rout in Game 2
- Japan Series: Tigers Rally Past Hawks in Game 1
- ODDS and EVENS | SoftBank Hawks Rely on Impressive Depth for Success in 2025
- JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Hanshin Tigers Return to the Japan Series After a 1-Year Absence
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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