Yakult won the number one spot in Japan for the first time in nine years as a Central League team.
Although it was not overwhelmingly strong like the Pacific League team that won the Japan Series until last year, it won the close battle every day with baseball that connects with stable pitchers and grabbed the top.
The feature is "connection"
"The characteristic of this team is" connection ". Pitcher connection, batting connection. This is baseball that only we can do. We will definitely win."
Just before the opening of the Japan Series, Shingo Takatsu called on the players and team staff in this way. I did.
In response to that word, the starting pitchers made a solid match.
In the first round, 20-year-old pitcher Yasunobu Okugawa, who was in his second year of graduating from high school, made a good pitch in seven innings with one goal.
In the second round, 24-year-old Keiji Takahashi won the first shutout victory for a professional, and the younger ones gave results.
Taking advantage of that momentum, in the third round, 31-year-old pitcher Yasuhiro Ogawa, and in the fourth round, the team's oldest pitcher, 41-year-old Masanori Ishikawa, young and mid-level pitchers, and veterans made a match to stimulate each other and won three consecutive victories. So I made a check for the best in Japan at once.
And in the 6th round, 30-year-old pitcher Hirotoshi Takanashi showed tenacity with 1 goal in the middle of the 5th inning, and from there he connected with 4 pitchers and won the extension without allowing Orix to add points.
Among them, closer McGough pitched twice from the middle of the 10th inning, straddling the innings.
Attackers who practiced "connecting baseball"
In the attack, the batting line that selected the league's top 513 walks practiced baseball to connect in a close battle.
The symbolic scene is the second round.
Orix pitcher Hiroya Miyagi, who had been limited to three hits up to the seventh inning, and Naomichi Nishiura chose the foreball in the eighth inning, creating a chance for first and second bases, and 39-year-old veteran Nori Aoki. Although the parent player was jammed, he carried it to the center and took one point.
Furthermore, in the 4th round, Santana, who was tied in the 6th inning, 2 outs to 5th, identified a lower ball and chose a walk, followed by Yuhei Nakamura, who was 6th, and Osuna, who was 7th, to score the final point. I robbed you.
Round 6, which decided the best in Japan, was also a victory with 12 extra innings and two outs connected to the batting line.
"Absolutely okay"
There was another slogan, "Absolutely okay," which supported the team mentally.
In the first round, he lost the two-point lead and lost the reversal goodbye.
In the 5th round, he couldn't decide the best in Japan in Tokyo due to relief hits while winning three consecutive victories.
Japan's number one that cuts off the flow that is leaning toward Orix.
It was a word that coach Takatsu strongly spoke to the players during the regular season.
"Believe in the teammates around, team Swallows never collapse absolute Once you said in monolithic. Absolutely all right"
players shine on the big stage in the not collapse in the Kotobadori apex of 20 years will be "monolithic" of Japan Series I did.
Interview with Director Takatsu after the match [Full text]
This is the full text of the post-match interview with Yakult Shingo Takatsu, who won the 6th time in Japan for the first time in 20 years.
ー神戸の夜空を舞った気持ちは
「本当に苦しいシーズンを過ごしてきました。昨年、一昨年と最下位に沈んで非常に難しいシーズンだったので喜びも何倍も大きいと思います。すごくうれしいです」
ー第6戦は相手がエースの山本由伸投手。どんな思いでゲームに臨んだのか
「もちろん勝つ気でみんなグラウンドに立ってくれたと思います。なかなかチャンスも、得点もなかなか難しいピッチャーですけれども、なんとか打つほうも投げるほうもみんなでつないで、延長にはなりましたけれども、なんとか勝つことができました」
ー先発の高梨投手がいいピッチングをして僅差のゲームになった
「高梨から始まり、最後マクガフまでみんながそれぞれ持ち味をしっかり発揮してすばらしい投球をしてくれたと思います」
ー延長12回表、代打 川端選手のタイムリー
「シーズンからずっと、彼のひと振りに頼りっぱなしでね、本当にもうアウトになることが許されない、勝つことがなくなってしまうという場面で、決して当たりはよくなかったですけども、本当に当たりはよくなかったですけど、いいバッティングだったと思います」
ーこのシリーズ、しびれるゲーム展開ばかりだった
「やはりセ・リーグの意地もありますし、やはりオリックス・バッファローズ、非常に強かったです。簡単には点を取らせてくれませんし、なかなか抑えるのも難しかった、非常によいチームだと思いました」
ー監督は神戸で95年の最後、抑えで胴上げ投手に。それ以来の胴上げだった
「そうですね。まあ、あの寒かったですね。でもみんな熱く燃えてグラウンドに立ってくれた結果が、きょうのこの結果だと思います」
-No. 1 in Japan from the bottom.
What do you think again?
"I am deeply grateful, grateful, and grateful to all the fans, players, and team staff who really supported me."
-Round 6 was a five-hour game.
My thoughts on the fans are
"Thank you to all Swallows fans and Nippon Professional Baseball fans for their support for a year. I managed to become the best in Japan. Also, it's just over, but I'm having a hot fight.
Well
, we will do our best to make it look like professional baseball from now on. Thank you very much for your support for a year. "
-Director Takatsu, there was that word that permeated the fans.
Please do not hesitate
next year,
"We will never collapse. It is absolutely okay. Thank you for your support for a year."
Yakult Battle to Japan's No. 1
【第1戦】11月20日 オリックス 4-3 ヤクルト（京セラドーム大阪）
第1戦、今シーズンチーム最多に並ぶ9勝を挙げた2年目の奥川恭伸投手が、ことし沢村賞を受賞したオリックスのエース、山本由伸投手と互角に投げ合いましたが、3対1と2点リードで迎えた9回に抑えのマクガフ投手が1つのアウトも奪えず3失点し、3対4で逆転サヨナラ負けを喫しました。
【第2戦】11月21日 オリックス 0-2 ヤクルト（京セラドーム大阪）
7回まで両チーム無得点と緊迫した試合展開となりましたが、8回に、39歳の青木宣親選手のタイムリーヒットで先制し、9回にも追加点を挙げました。
投げては、先発した6年目の高橋奎二投手が、最後まで得点を許さず、プロ初の完封勝利。2対0で勝ち、対戦成績を五分に戻しました。
【第3戦】11月23日 ヤクルト 5-4 オリックス（東京ドーム）
東京ドームに場所を移して行われた第3戦は、3回に1点を先制され、このシリーズで初めて先制点を奪われました。
その後は点の取り合いとなり、3対4で迎えた8回、5番のサンタナ選手が日本シリーズ初ヒットとなるツーランホームランを打って逆転し、5対4で勝ちました。
【第4戦】11月24日 ヤクルト 2-1 オリックス（東京ドーム）
チーム最年長の41歳、石川雅規投手が先発し、ストレートと多彩な変化球をコースに投げ分ける巧みなピッチングで、オリックス打線を6回1点に抑えました。そして、石川投手がマウンドを降りた直後、同点の場面で7番のオスナ選手が勝ち越しのタイムリーヒットを打って2対1で勝利。
3連勝で日本一に王手をかけました。
[Round 5] November 25, Yakult 5-6 Orix (Tokyo Dome)
Relief pitcher Taichi Ishiyama, who became the winning pitcher in Round 3, and closer McGough, who had saved for two consecutive games, hit. I lost 5 to 6.
[Round 6] November 27, Orix 1-2 Yakult (Hotto Motto Field Kobe)
Shingo Kawabata, who made a comeback from a hip injury as a pinch hitter for this season's 12th inning with a tie. With a timely hit, he scored the final point, and at the end, pitcher McGough held down and became the best in Japan.