Hiroshima Carp vs Yokohama BayStars

DeNA struck in the first against Hiroshima starter Ryoji Kuribayashi. Leadoff man Ryuki Watarai singled to right, and Shugo Maki followed with a ground-rule double down the left-field line. After Yoshitomo Tsutsugo struck out and J. Encarnacion flied to right, Toshiro Miyazaki lined a two-run single to left to open a 2–0 lead.

Hiroshima cut the lead in half in the second. Shogo Sakakibara walked, moved to second on Anderson Montero's groundout and to third on Tai Sasaki's single. After Taiki Mochimaru struck out, Naru Katsuta singled up the middle to plate Sakakibara, making it 2–1.

That was all Hiroshima would manage. Katayama settled after the second, retiring eight of the next nine batters. He worked 6.0 innings on 104 pitches, allowing six hits and one earned run with seven strikeouts.

Tsutsugo provided breathing room in the sixth, driving a 1–0 pitch from Kuribayashi deep to right for a solo home run — his 15th of the year — restoring the two-run lead at 3–1.

DeNA broke the game open in the seventh. After Atsushi Katsumata struck out, Takuma Hayashi singled to centre. Catcher Yasutaka Totsuka followed with an RBI double to right-centre, scoring Hayashi. After pinch-hitter Keita Sano grounded out and Watarai was hit by a pitch, Maki laced a two-run double to left-centre, scoring Totsuka and Watarai for a 6–1 lead. That ended Kuribayashi's night at 6.1 innings.

The DeNA bullpen of Kotaro Ise, Toranosuke Nakagawa and J. Ruiz closed with three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.

Tsutsugo's sixth-inning solo home run. Kuribayashi had retired 12 of 14 batters from the second through fifth innings, but the solo shot punctured his momentum and forced Hiroshima to play from a two-run deficit with their bullpen already stirring.

Shugo Maki (DeNA) — Player of the Match. Two doubles, two RBIs, one run scored. Delivered the two-run double in the seventh that effectively ended the game. Batting .295 with 22 doubles on the season.

Koshin Katayama (DeNA) — Winning pitcher (3–2). 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 104 pitches. The right-hander induced 10 swinging strikes and stranded five Hiroshima baserunners.

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (DeNA) — 1-for-4, solo home run (No. 15). Has homered four times in his last seven games.

Naru Katsuta (Hiroshima) — 2-for-4, game's only RBI single. One of two Carp with multiple hits (Sakakibara also had two singles and a walk).

DeNA went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position; Hiroshima went 1-for-7. Katayama's 104 pitches yielded seven strikeouts and just one walk — a 7:1 K/BB ratio. Kuribayashi (5–5) was charged with six earned runs on nine hits, walking none and striking out six over 6.1 innings. The game featured zero errors from either side. The three-hour, three-minute contest was the quickest of the series.

DeNA (52–60–3, .464) snapped a two-game losing streak and remained in third place in the Central League. Hiroshima (46–61–4, .430) dropped to last place, 14.5 games behind league-leading Hanshin Tigers. DeNA leads the season series 13–7–1 with three games remaining.

Hiroshima's next fixture: vs. Yomiuri Giants at Mazda Stadium (28 August, 18:00 JST). DeNA's next fixture: vs. Chunichi Dragons at Yokohama Stadium (28 August, 18:00 JST).

Katayama outpitched Kuribayashi in a duel that remained competitive until DeNA's three-run seventh broke it open. For Hiroshima, the inability to cash scoring chances after the second inning proved costly. Maki's two-double night and Tsutsugo's power continue to drive a DeNA offence that is finding its stride in the final weeks of the regular season.