On Wednesday the Final Stage of the Climax Series in both the Central and Pacific Leagues started and amazingly, both the Swallows and Buffaloes starters threw complete game shutouts. Yoshinobu Yamamoto of Orix threw 126 pitches, giving up just four hits, walking none and striking out 10 in the Buffaloes 1-0 victory over the Marines. Yasunobu Okugawa of the Swallows matched him, giving up six hits, walking none and striking out nine on only 98(!) pitches as Yakult beat the Giants 4-0.
The two teams shutout their opponents again in Game Two on Thursday and they both wrapped up the Climax Series with ties on Friday. The 2021 Nippon Series will start next Saturday in Osaka and the Game One starters are expected to be Yamamoto and Okugawa. Here are cards for each of them:
 |
| 2019 Epoch One #746 |
 |
| 2019 Calbee #ES-04 |
With Orix making the Series for the first time since 1996, all 12 NPB teams will have played in the Series this century. The Buffaloes are no longer the team with the longest Series-less drought - the Lions now have that "honor", having last appeared in the Series in 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment