Orix Buffaloes Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25) suffered a shocking performance in Game 1 of the Japan Series.
Yamamoto started the game against the Hanshin Tigers in Game 1 of the Japan Series held at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Osaka, Japan on the 28th and recorded a loss, allowing 10 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and 7 runs in 5⅔ innings.
Yamamoto, who cruised with no runs until the fourth inning, suddenly began to falter in the top of the fifth inning. He was hit by leadoff hitter Teruaki Sato and was in danger with one out and third base due to a stolen base and Sheldon Noisy’s advanced base hit. Yamamoto, who gave up the first run with an RBI single to Ryo Watanabe, was hit by Seiya Kinami, but took a breather by catching Seishiro Sakamoto’s sacrifice bunt attempt as a fly ball. However, he hit a 2-RBI triple from Koji Chikamoto, followed by an RBI single from Takumu Nakano, and ended up giving up 4 runs in the 5th inning alone.
Yamamoto, who was on the mound in the 6th inning, walked leadoff hitter Yusuke Oyama. Yamamoto, who was in danger with Sato’s advanced hit and Noiji’s hit with one out and runners on 1st and 3rd base, struck out Watanabe, but Kinami’s 1-run hit and Sakamoto’s 1-run double hit in a row and he ended up handing the mound to Nobuyoshi Yamada. I finished my pitch that day. Yamada walked Chikamoto and allowed an additional run on Nakano’s timely hit with an RBI.
Orix, whose trusted ace Yamamoto collapsed, suffered a crushing 0-8 loss in the important first game. Hanshin’s starting pitcher Shoki Murakami recorded a scoreless victory with 2 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings, and Len Kajiya (1 scoreless inning) and Yuuta Iwashida (1 scoreless inning) pitched well, completing the scoreless victory.
Japanese media Tokyo Sports said, “Overwhelming ace Yamamoto looked at the sky. Yamamoto, who struggled in Game 1 of the Climax Series Final Stage against Chiba Lotte, allowing 5 runs in 7 innings, threw a variety of pitches, including fastballs with a maximum speed of 159 km/h, forks, curves, and sliders, in Game 1 of the Japan Series against Hanshin, but he pitched poorly. “It ended,” he said of Yamamoto’s sluggish performance. Yamamoto bowed his head and said, “You entrusted me with the mound in the important first game, but it’s unfortunate that I couldn’t fulfill my role.”
Yamamoto, who recorded 16 wins, 6 losses, an average ERA of 1.21, and 169 strikeouts in 23 games (164 innings) this season, achieved four wins (multiple wins, average ERA, strikeouts, and winning percentage) for three consecutive years for the first time in Japanese professional baseball history from 2021 to this year. His career records include 172 games (897 innings), 70 wins, 29 losses, an ERA of 1.82, and 922 strikeouts.굿모닝토토 주소
Yamamoto, who is scheduled to enter the major leagues through posting after the end of the season, is being talked about receiving a large contract worth over $100 million, but he has lost face by continuing to pitch poorly in this postseason. In particular, losing in the important first game of the Japan Series was a big regret.