Baseball Discussion Thread

[phelps 6,862]

 KBO

 

the second round of the 2022 Playoffs is over.

 

coming off the Wild Card round, KT Wiz almost upset favourite Kiwoom Heroes, forcing them to a decisive game #5 that ended in a dramatic 4-3 win for the team from Seoul.

 

the whole series ended with 3 wins to 2 for the Heroes.

 

the first 2 matches in Seoul were shared by the 2 teams (8-4 for Kiwoom and 2-0 for KT Wiz), as it happened for the following 2 games in Suwon (9-2 for the Heroes, then 9-6 for KT Wiz) and this led to the already said final game in Seoul.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Right now, the 3rd playoffs round (the last one before the Korean Series) is underway.

 

the first 2 games have already been played and the Kiwoom Heroes are tied 1-1 with the LG Twins, also from Seoul.

 

the Twins won game #1 by a score of 6-3, the the heroes won game #2 by a score of 7-6 earlier today.

 

game #3 and #4 are scheduled for Thursday & Friday (at the Heroes' home stadium).

 

if necessary, game #5 will be played on Sunday at the LG Twins stadium.

 

the winners of this series advance to the 2022 Korean Series against the SSG Landers from Incheon.

Edited October 28, 2022 by phelps

[phelps 6,862]

 NPB 2022 Japan Series

 

game #1: Osaka ORIX Buffaloes @ Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3-5 (Swallows lead the series 1-0)

 

helped by a HR by Munetaka Murakami, the home team won the first match thanks to a speedy start, favoured also by a shaky outing of Buffaloes' ace starting pitcher Yamamoto, who gave up 4 runs in the first 4 innings.

 

here's the boxscore:

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022102201856.html

 

 

game #2: Osaka ORIX Buffaloes @ Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3-3 (Swallows lead the series 1-0)

 

the second chapter of this saga was a record breaking amazing battle: 5 hours and 3 minutes long, 16 pitchers used by the 2 teams and an unusual end in a tie (the 9th in the Japan Series history).

not only, the Buffaloes can only blame themselves for not having won this game, as they were comfortably ahead 3-0 in the 9th inning, when their closer Abe put 2 men on base and then gave up a 3-run shot to Uchiyama (a pinch hitter).

after the crazy 9th, in the extra innings both teams had their chances with a few men on base, but they couldn't apitalize and the score remained tied until the end of the 12th inning, when by rule the game was ended as a tie.

 

here's the boxscore:

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022102301857.html

 

 

game #3: Tokyo Yakult Swallows @ Osaka ORIX Buffaloes 7-1 (Swallows lead the series 2-0)

 

not much to say about the 3rd match.

it was very close until the 5th inning, when another 3-run HR given up by a Buffaloes' pitcher broke things apart.

from that moment, it was a no contest and the following runs were just cosmetic.

 

here's the boxscore:

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022102501858.html

 

 

game #4 is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) in Osaka @ 6.30 p.m. local time (11.30 a.m. CET).

Edited October 25, 2022 by phelps

[phelps 6,862]

 NPB 2022 Japan Series

 

game #4: Tokyo Yakult Swallows @ Osaka ORIX Buffaloes 0-1 (Swallows lead the series 2-1)

 

A single hit by Yutaro Sugimoto in the 3rd inning (with 2 outs) was enough for the Buffaloes to secure game #5 of the 2022 Japan Series.

A combined shutout by their 4 pitchers completed the job.

the Swallows had a few chances through the game, but they couldn't capitalize any of them and finally they went scoreless for the first time in the series.

 

here's the boxscore:

http://hosted.stats.com/npb/boxscore.asp?gamecode=20221026111

 

 

game #5 is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) in Osaka, always @ 6.30 p.m. local time (11.30 a.m. CET).

[phelps 6,862]

 NPB 2022 Japan Series

 

game #5: Tokyo Yakult Swallows @ Osaka ORIX Buffaloes 4-6 (series tied 2-2)

 

Finally, today it was time for an amazing, throbbing match.

we saw almost evertything it's possible on a baseball field, we had a lot of lead changes and an heartbreaking finale.

in the first 4 innings it looked like the same old story, with the Buffaloes not capitalizing their chances and the Swallows taking a comfortable 2-0 lead.

in the 5th stint Masataka Yoshida hit his first HR of the day cutting the distance to one and giving his teammates a good wake up call, so that they also started to lay down some convincing hits and manufactured the tying run at 2 apiece.

in the 6th inning the Buffaloes carried the momentum on and they even took the lead by a score of 3-2.

but the Swallows' reaction came strong in the 7th inning, when they scored twice to regain the lead, 4-3.

when the American closer of the Swallows Scott McGough came in at the beginning of the 9th inning, it looked all over.

and instead no, not today...first, the Buffaloes scored the tying run and then Masataka Yoshida became the hero of the home team, sending a 2-run shot deep in the stands and giving his team a great win and the provisional tie in the Japan Series.

now Buffaloes and Swallows head back to Tokyo for game #6 and #7 (and, if necessary, also game #8).

 

here's today's match boxscore:

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022102701860.html

 

 

game #6 is scheduled for Saturday (October 29th) in Tokyo, always @ 6.30 p.m. local time (11.30 a.m. CET).

[phelps 6,862]

 KBO

 

the third round of the 2022 Playoffs is over.

 

earlier Today, the Kiwoom Heroes won game #4 of the Seoul derby against LG Twins by a score of 4-1 and took the series 3-1 (3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 4-1 the single matches).

 

after both teams scored 1 run each in the first inning, the winning hit of Today's game came in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

it was a solo-HR by "el caballo loco", the Cuban Yasiel Puig, former player of the L.A. Dodgers and of the Cincinnati Reds in the MLB.

then the Heroes added 2 more insurance run in the 7th, but it was mainly thanks to their pitchers shutting down the always dangerous Twins bats that they earn today's win.

 

with this success, the Heroes advance to the 2022 Korean Series against the Regular Season champions, the SSG Landers from Incheon, who have the home field advantage in the best-of-7 series.

 

the dates of the matches are still TBC (but the series should start next Tuesday).

[phelps 6,862]

 NPB 2022 Japan Series

 

game #6: Osaka ORIX Buffaloes @ Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3-0 (Buffaloes lead the series 3-2)

 

Sachiya Yamasaki and 4 relievers combined on a 1-hit shutout to move the Buffaloes just 1 win away from their Japan series title in 26 years.

the game winning run came in the 6th inning: with Ryo Ota already in second base, the hero of game 5, Masataka Yoshida was given an intentional walk, but this decision proved lethal when Yutaro Sugimoto, coming after Yoshida in the Buffaloes lineup, hit a 2-out single that pushed Ota home.

with the lead in hand, Yuki Udagawa, Yoshihisa Hirano and Soichiro Yamazaki didn't give up anything to the Swallows batters and the game quickly got to the 9th inning, when the Buffaloes scored 2 more insurance runs on the Swallows closer Scott McGough (who was also responsible for the tough error that opened the door for those 2 runs).

finally, Jacob Waguespack worked an easy 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th to earn his second JS save and grant his team the 3-2 lead in the series.

now the heavy favourites Swallows have their shoulders to the wall, meanwhile the Buffaloes could clinch the title as soon as Tomorrow (but a tie or a Swallows win would force game #8 on Monday, always at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo).

 

here's Today's match boxscore:

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022102901861.html

 

 

game #7 is scheduled for Tomorrow (October 30th) in Tokyo, always @ 6.30 p.m. local time (10.30 a.m. CET).

Edited October 29, 2022 by phelps

[phelps 6,862]

 NPB 2022 Japan Series

 

The Osaka ORIX Buffaloes are the Japan Series Champions!   

 

First title in 26 years!!! 

 

game #7: Osaka ORIX Buffaloes @ Tokyo Yakult Swallows 5-4 (Buffaloes won the series 4-2)

 

The Orix Buffaloes, champions of Japan's Pacific League, beat the Central League champion Yakult Swallows 5-4 in Game 7 on Sunday to win their franchise's first Japan Series since Ichiro Suzuki and the Orix BlueWave triumphed in 1996.

 

Down 2-0 with one tie after three games, the Buffaloes won four straight games, coming from behind to tie the series at two wins apiece in a three-run Game 5 comeback and never trailed after that, surviving a late Swallows rally on Sunday.

 

Lefty Hiroya Miyagi, working on four days rest after taking the loss in Game 3, started for the Buffaloes and had great movement and deception in Game 7 at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, getting the Swallows hitters to chase out of the zone.

 

He allowed three hits and a walk over five innings while striking out five.

 

Ryo Ota put Orix on the board on the first pitch, going down for a low Cy Sneed fastball and hitting it out to center for a leadoff home run.

 

The game remained close until the fifth inning, when catcher Torai Fushimi led off with a single.

 

Back-to-back bunt singles followed, a lucky one by Miyagi, and a beauty by Ota down the third base line, with third baseman Munetaka Murakami playing back for a force at the bag.

 

Sneed got a lucky break of his own, a double play on a ball smashed to first baseman Jose Osuna, but a walk and a hit batsman made it 2-0, and center fielder Yasutaka Shiomi missed a line drive hit by Yutaro Sugimoto for a three-run, three-base error.

 

Sugimoto, who twice singled in the first runs when Orix held Yakult scoreless and had an RBI single in Game 2's tie, was named the series' MVP.

 

With a big lead, Buffaloes then went to their bullpen, getting two scoreless innings from rookie Yuki Udagawa before the Swallows scored four runs in the eighth off Orix's third pitcher, Soichiro Yamazaki, three on Jose Osuna's second home run of the series.

 

Side-armer Motoki Higa got out of the inning to preserve the lead.

 

Fushimi gave Orix a leadoff double in the ninth, but Osuna threw out his second runner at the plate to keep it a one-run game.

 

Jacob Waguespack, who earned the win in the Buffaloes' 6-4 Game 5 win, earned his third save of the series with a 1-2-3 ninth.

 

here's Today's match boxscore:

https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2022/games/s2022103001862.html

[phelps 6,862]

 KBO 2022 Korean Series

 

game #1: Kiwoom Heroes Seoul @ SSG Landers Incheon 7-6 (after 10 innings, Heroes lead the series 1-0)

 

Amazing game #1 of the Korean series.

Good start by the home team, scoring 1 run in the 2nd and 3rd inning to take a solid lead.

then the Heroes found the way to touch the starting pitcher of the SSG Landers, Kim Kwang-Hyun, and scored twice in both the 5th and 6th inning (also helped by a couple of errors of the opposing defense).

the home team replied in both the 5th and 6th inning, but with only 1 run in each stint, which means that the game was tied at 4 after 6 innings.

then, as often happens in Korean Baseball when the relievers take the mound, it was no time for people with fragile hearts.

the Landers took the lead once again in the bottom of the 8th, but the Heroes did counter in the top of the 9th, scored 2 runs and went 6-5 ahead.

when it looked all over, however, the home team found the way to tie the match once again and send everything to the extra-innings, when the Heroes scored another run in the top of the 10th inning and this time it was really enough, as the SSG Landers couldn't find an answer anymore.

 

here's Today's match boxscore:

https://mykbostats.com/games/10363-Kiwoom-vs-SSG-20221101

 

 

game #2 is scheduled for Tomorrow in Incheon, always @ 6.30 p.m. local time (10.30 a.m. CET).

Edited November 2, 2022 by phelps

[phelps 6,862]

 KBO 2022 Korean Series

 

game #2: Kiwoom Heroes Seoul @ SSG Landers Incheon 1-6 (series tied 1-1)

 

3 runs scored by the SSG Landers in the first inning, followed by 2 more in the 5th (against only 1 run scored by the Heroes in the 3rd) and it was all over quite early.

not the same exciting match as game 1, for sure.

now the series is tied at 1 and the teams head to Seoul for the next 3 matches, starting from Friday.

 

here's Today's match boxscore:

https://mykbostats.com/games/10364-Kiwoom-vs-SSG-20221102

 

 

game #3 is scheduled for Friday (November 4th) in Seoul, always @ 6.30 p.m. local time (10.30 a.m. CET).

[phelps 6,862]

 KBO 2022 Korean Series

 

game #3: SSG Landers Incheon @ Kiwoom Heroes Seoul  8-2 (SSG Landers lead the series 2-1)

 

very close game until the 9th inning and very good performance by the starting pitchers.

the Heroes got the lead 1-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning, thanks to a double by the Cuban superstar Yasiel Puig, who then scored on a center field single by Kim Tae-Jin.

after that, it was a pitchers' domination till the 8th, when the Landers turned things around, scoring 2 runs off an error by the Heroes' shortstop, followed by a 2-run shot by former NY Mets outfielder Juan Lagares.

it was the beginning of the end for the team from Seoul. in the top of the 9th inning, in fact, the guests just exploded and scored 6 runs, destroying relievers Kim Jae-Woong and Kim Tae-Hoon.

the second run scored by the Heroes in the bottom of the 9th was just cosmetic.

now the RS champions lead the series 2 games to 1.

 

here's Today's match boxscore:

https://mykbostats.com/games/10365-SSG-vs-Kiwoom-20221104

 

 

game #4 is scheduled for Tomorrow (Saturday, November 5th) in Seoul, always @ 2 p.m. local time (6 a.m. CET).