Hiroshima Carp vs Yokohama BayStars

The Carp struck first in the bottom of the first. After a throwing error by BayStars third baseman Yoshiyuki Tsutsugo and a single from Ryosuke Kikuchi, first baseman Shogo Sakakura drove a 2–2 pitch to right field for an RBI single, giving Hiroshima a 1–0 lead against DeNA starter Katsuki Azuma.

BayStars answered in the fourth. With two outs, Jose Encarnacion ripped a double to right, and Keita Sano followed with an RBI double of his own to left-centre, scoring Encarnacion and knotting the game at 1–1.

The score stayed locked until the bottom of the eighth. Hiroshima loaded the bases against reliever J. Ruiz and pushed across two runs to take a 3–1 lead into the ninth.

DeNA clawed one back in the top of the ninth, but Hiroshima closer Daisuke Moriura shut the door to secure his 18th save of the season.

The bottom of the eighth was the decisive frame. Hiroshima had managed just two hits off Azuma across seven innings, but the moment Ruiz entered the game, the Carp offence came alive. A string of well-placed ground balls and DeNA defensive miscues — the visitors committed three errors on the night — created the two-run cushion that proved enough.

• Shogo Sakakura (Hiroshima): Delivered the game’s first RBI with a two-out single in the first. Reached base twice more via an error.
• Keita Sano (DeNA): Drove in the BayStars’ first run with a clutch two-out double in the fourth. Drew a walk in the seventh.
• Ko Taichi (Hiroshima): Winning pitcher (3–2), retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning, inheriting a tie and leaving with the lead.
• Daisuke Moriura (Hiroshima): Earned his 18th save, allowing one run in the ninth but stranding the tying run.

Player of the Match: Shogo Sakakura — his early RBI and consistent at-bats set the tone for Hiroshima’s narrow victory.

Hiroshima out-hit DeNA 7–6, but both sides committed multiple errors (Hiroshima two, DeNA three) — sloppy defence kept the game tighter than the hit count suggests. The BayStars left five runners on base compared to Hiroshima’s six, with both sides going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The game’s character was defined by pitching: neither starter allowed more than one earned run, and the bullpens ultimately decided it.

DeNA’s 28–18 head-to-head lead over Hiroshima (across 50 meetings since 2024) remains intact, but Hiroshima have now taken two of three games in this late-August series. This fixture has averaged 7.6 total runs per game historically; tonight’s five runs were well below that average, reflecting a pitchers’ duel that tilted on a single half-inning.

The win keeps Hiroshima in touch with the Central League’s upper tier as the season enters its final stretch. DeNA, who entered the series on a strong August run (going 7–2 against Hanshin and Hiroshima in the first two weeks of the month), will rue missed opportunities with runners on base.

Both sides face off again at MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium on Thursday 27 August, with first pitch at 18:00 JST. Hiroshima are scheduled to start Ryoji Kuribayashi, while DeNA counter with Koyo Katayama.

A tight, well-pitched NPB contest decided by a single bad inning from DeNA’s bullpen. Hiroshima’s ability to capitalise on defensive mistakes in the eighth was the narrow margin between a 3–2 win and a 1–1 stalemate that could have gone either way. The return fixture on Thursday carries considerable weight for both clubs’ positioning.