The Hanshin Tigers of Japanese professional baseball are back in the Nippon Series for the first time in nine years. It will be their first championship in 38 years since 1985.
Hanshin won 4-2 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Game 3 of the final stage of the Central League Climax Series at Koshien Stadium on Tuesday.
Hanshin, which started the series with a one-game advantage after winning the regular season title, completed a three-game sweep of Hiroshima to advance to the Japan Series with a 4-0 record.
Hanshin struck first in the fourth inning. Two batters later, starting pitcher Otake gave up a double and an infield single to put runners on first and third with one out.
But Hanshin turned the game around in the bottom of the fourth. After an infield single and a walk put runners on first and second, Noiji tied the game with a single to right. Sakamoto followed with an RBI single to left to make it 2-1.
Hiroshima tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly with runners on first and third. Hanshin put runners in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the sixth when Sato singled and Noiji walked, and Sakamoto singled with 토토사이트 runners on first and second to regain the lead, 3-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kinami led off with a single and a sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second. A walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, and Morishita followed with a push-button single to make it 4-2. A grounder to first and a fly out to center field ended the inning.