DeNA beats Hanshin 2-1 in 11 innings, denying Hanshin two-win CS advantage
In short
DeNA beat Hanshin 2-1 in 11 innings at Yokohama Stadium on 4 October in the final game of the regular season, with Encarnación delivering the sayonara hit. The win kept DeNA within 10 games of Hanshin, so the league champion will not receive the two-win advantage in the Climax Series Final Stage that a new rule would have granted. Hanshin, which clinched its first back-to-back league titles the previous day, managed two hits, and closer Kudo allowed his first run in 11 games.
Why it matters
The result shapes the Climax Series Final Stage, where Hanshin will start with the usual one-win advantage instead of two, a difference DeNA's coverage treated as significant for its chances. DeNA also ends the regular season with momentum after a four-month recovery from a June slump. The event is a domestic baseball story with little consequence outside Japan.
Key facts
- DeNA beat Hanshin 2-1 in 11 innings at Yokohama Stadium on 4 October in the final game of the regular season. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Encarnación hit the sayonara single to right in the 11th inning. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The win prevented Hanshin from gaining a two-win advantage in the Climax Series Final Stage; the advantage stays at one win. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- Maki's single and Tsutsugo's walk set up the winning run against Hanshin closer Kudo. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Kudo allowed his first run in 11 games, and Hanshin's batters managed only two hits, TBS NEWS DIG reported. [ 4 ]
- DeNA finished with 71 wins, 69 losses and 3 draws, a fifth consecutive winning season, according to TBS NEWS DIG. [ 3 ]
- Hanshin clinched its first back-to-back league titles the previous day. [ 4 , 5 ]
- DeNA missed its first league title in 28 years, Sankei Shimbun reported. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- DeNA defeated Hanshin 2-1 in 11 innings in the regular-season finale on 4 October at Yokohama Stadium. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Encarnación delivered the sayonara hit in the 11th inning. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The result denied Hanshin a two-win advantage in the Climax Series Final Stage; the advantage remains one win. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- Hanshin had clinched the league title the previous day. [ 4 , 5 ]
- Maki's single and Tsutsugo's walk set up the winning run in the 11th. [ 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether DeNA's relief pitchers held Hanshin hitless, as Mynavi News reported, while TBS NEWS DIG reported Hanshin had two hits in the game. The hitless detail comes from a single source, a summary of television commentary, and the documents do not say which pitchers allowed Hanshin's hits.
- DeNA's final record of 71 wins, 69 losses and 3 draws appears only in one outlet's summary. No other document in the set gives DeNA's win-loss figures.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Mynavi News publishes a report on DeNA's sayonara win and commentator Tanizawa's remarks on the Climax Series advantage. [ 1 ]
- Nippon TV News reports DeNA's final-game sayonara win and that Hanshin's two-win advantage was prevented. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports DeNA's 2-1 win in 11 innings, Encarnación's sayonara hit and DeNA's fifth consecutive winning season. [ 3 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the loss from Hanshin's side, including Kudo's first run allowed in 11 games and Hanshin's two hits. [ 4 ]
- Sankei Shimbun publishes a detailed account of the game, DeNA's June slump and manager Aikawa's comments. [ 5 ]