Yokohama BayStars vs Chunichi Dragons

Yokohama DeNA BayStars staged a dramatic ninth-inning comeback to beat Chunichi Dragons 4-3 on Sunday, with Tatsuo Ebina delivering a walk-off single that capped a two-run rally and handed the visitors a fourth straight defeat.

Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, DeNA faced Chunichi closer Shinya Matsuyama. Ryuki Toguchi led off with an infield single to third, and after a strikeout, Keita Sano drew a walk. Substitute Ryuga Mitsumori singled to centre, loading the bases. Toshiro Miyazaki then lifted a deep sacrifice fly to right, scoring Toguchi to tie the game. With two outs and runners on second and third, Ebina lined a single through the middle to bring home Sano and trigger the walk-off celebration.

DeNA had opened the scoring in the first inning. Sano — facing his former Meiji University teammate, Chunichi starter Yuya Yanagi — drove a 1-1 cut fastball into the right-centre stands for a solo home run, his sixth of the season.

The lead held until the fifth. Chunichi loaded the bases with one out on a single by Yuta Ishii and a walk to Yanagi, followed by a single from Yugo Fukuda. Hosokawa's sacrifice fly tied the game, and consecutive hits by Dayan Viciedo and Takumi Ishikawa put Chunichi ahead 3-1. A sacrifice fly by Taiki Hanada made it 3-2 before DeNA starter Kentaro Shinogi exited, turning the game over to the bullpen.

The turning point: the ninth inning Matsuyama, Chunichi's closer, had converted 18 saves in 2026 but could not close this one out. The sequence — an infield single, a walk and a two-strike single — forced Inoue to pull centre fielder Hanada for defensive replacement Okabayashi, but the damage was done. Miyazaki's sacrifice fly and Ebina's single turned a three-out lead into a walk-off loss, Chunichi's ninth sayonara defeat of the season.

Key performers

• Keita Sano (DeNA): 3-for-3 with a home run, a single, a double, a walk and two runs scored. He was a triple shy of the cycle. The first-inning solo shot set the tone.
• Tatsuo Ebina (DeNA): Delivered the game-winning hit with two outs in the ninth, his second hit of the night.
• Kentaro Shinogi (DeNA): Worked five innings, striking out five, but was let down by the defence in the fifth when Chunichi strung together three hits for three runs.
• Yuya Yanagi (Chunichi): Held DeNA scoreless after the first-inning homer across seven strong innings, but the bullpen could not preserve the lead.

What it means The win gave DeNA its third series sweep of the 2026 NPB season, extending their hold on third place in the Central League. Chunichi, meanwhile, slipped to a fourth consecutive loss and dropped back to last place after Hiroshima's victory opened up a 5.5-game gap between the sides. The Dragons have now lost nine games via walk-off this season.

DeNA next face the Yakult Swallows on 31 August. Chunichi continue their road trip against the Hanshin Tigers on the same day.

Verdict A taut Central League contest decided by a single inning of late-inning leverage. DeNA's willingness to grind at-bats against a proven closer paid off, while Chunichi's inability to close games — a recurring problem — cost them a valuable road win.