Baseball 2018 Discussion Thread

[phelps 7,675]

the Major League Baseball is over for this year, but we still have a few important leagues running their playoffs/final series...

 

one of those is the Japanese NPB, which is in the middle of their final series, the Nippon Series 2018...

 

the 2 teams that are fighting for this year's crown are the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (winners of the Central League and with the home field advantage in the NS) and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Pacific League champions)...

 

game #1 was played last Saturday...and ended in an unconventional tie (2-2 after 12 innings...yes, Japanese rules allow games to end with a tie)...

 

game #2 was played last sunday...and this time the home team (Hiroshima) got an easy win (5-1)...

 

game #3 was played earlier today...and the SoftBank Hawks took advantage of the home ground and won after a hard (and crazy) battle with the final score of 9-8...

 

game #4 is scheduled for tomorrow in Fukuoka @ 6.30 p.m. local time (10.30 a.m. CET)...

[heywoodu 15,141]

Cool, I see Rick van den Hurk is playing in the Japan Series

[phelps 7,675]

5 minuti fa, heywoodu ha scritto:

Cool, I see Rick van den Hurk is playing in the Japan Series

 

yeah, he's playing for the Hawks...and he took quite a beating last Sunday in game #2...

Dutch players have a long history of playing in the Japanese leagues (Balentien was one of the top HR hitters also in this season, for instance)...

Edited October 30, 2018 by phelps

[heywoodu 15,141]

1 minute ago, phelps said:

 

yeah, he's playing for the Hawks...and he took quite a beating last Sunday in game #2...

Dutch players have a long history of playing in the Japanese leagues (Balentien was one of the top HR hitters also in this season, for instance)...

I had no idea  

 

Hopefully vdHurk plays again, it's a bit late now to write something about it on a Dutch website, but if he does, I surely will  

[phelps 7,675]

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks took the lead in the Nippon Series thanks to an easy (and not so exciting) game #4 win vs the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (4-1 the final score) on home ground...

 

today's match winner was really never in doubt...a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 3rd inning did break the tie and then the Hawks never looked back...

 

game #5 is scheduled for tomorrow, always in Fukuoka and always at the same time (6.30 p.m. local, 10.30 a.m. CET)...

[phelps 7,675]

Nippon Series 2018

 

a walk-off HR by Yuki Yanagita in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks the victory in a very entertaining game #5...

 

this time we've had quite a few lead changes through the entire game and a close match until the end, but the result is the same as the last 3 matches, the Hawks win...

 

and now they lead 3-1 (and a tie) in the Nippon Series, just 1 win away from the final triumph...

 

the Hiroshima Toyo Carp now have their shoulders against the wall, but at least they will have their home crowd's support in the next chapters of this saga...

 

game #6 is scheduled for Saturday in Hiroshima, always @ 6.30 p.m. Japan time (10.30 a.m. CET)...

 

p.s. @heywoodu keep an eye on Saturday's game...there's a chance that Van den Hurk could pitch for the Hawks, even if it's more likely to see him on Sunday (if a further game is needed)...

[phelps 7,675]

@heywoodu Van Den Hurk did pitch earlier today in game #6 of the Nippon Series...

I just start watching the game, so I don't know how he went yet, but I can tell you that he gave up a lead-off hit already in the bottom of the 1st inning...

 

more about the whole game later tonight...

[heywoodu 15,141]

1 minute ago, phelps said:

@heywoodu Van Den Hurk did pitch earlier today in game #6 of the Nippon Series...

I just start watching the game, so I don't know how he went yet, but I can tell you that he gave up a lead-off hit already in the bottom of the 1st inning...

 

more about the whole game later tonight...

I saw the score somewhere during the 9th inning, but actually also don't know how it ended  Where are you watching?

[phelps 7,675]

5 ore fa, heywoodu ha scritto:

I saw the score somewhere during the 9th inning, but actually also don't know how it ended  Where are you watching?

 

Japanese TV Networks...today it was TBS...

I'm using an Android TV app called iSakura Pro (5 USD for 3 days, 2 stints to cover all the week)...

https://japannettv.com/wpshop/index.php/isakurapro-plus/

 

 

by the way, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won today's game #6 with the score of 2-0 and are the new Nippon Series Champions (4-1 and a tie, the series score)...

 

Van den hurk survived the first 2 difficult innings without giving up any run...and then he suddenly became untouchable for the following 4 (4 hits and 1 base on ball alowwed and 10 Ks in his 6 innings of work...and the satisfaction to be registered as the winning pitcher)...

and when his relievers got the call from their manager, nothing changed...just 1 base on ball and no hits allowed by Takeda, Kayama and Mori in the final 3 innings...

so, a manufactured run in the 4th and a solo shot by Gracial in the 5th were enough for the Hawks to take the win and the title home...

 

for the Hawks is the 7th title overall (the 1st came in 1999), the 4th in the last 5 seasons and the second in a row...

 

Fukuoka's catcher Takaya Kai was named Nippon Series 2018 MVP, mainly because of his unbelievable defensive plays (6 caught stealing in 6 games)...

[heywoodu 15,141]

Dutch pitcher Loek van Mil has been severely injured to his head in Australia (where he plays), in apparently a 'non-baseball incident'. He's in critical condition.