The Japanese professional baseball Hanshin Tigers became the third team in history to achieve 9 or more consecutive wins in a season three times, increasing their chances of winning the league.
Hanshin won 1-0 against the Yomiuri Giants at the Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan on the 12th, recording a 9-game winning streak. Starting pitcher Yuki Nishi achieved his first shutout of the season by pitching 9 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and no runs.
Japanese media Nikkan Sports said, “Hanshin has been on a 9-game winning streak since the game against Yakult on the 1st. This is the third time that Hanshin has recorded more than 9 consecutive wins this season, following 9 consecutive wins from May 20 to 30 and 10 consecutive wins from August 3 to 13. In the history of Japanese professional baseball, this is the third time in the history of Japanese professional baseball to achieve 9 or more consecutive wins in a season, following Yomiuri in 1955 (13 consecutive wins, 10 consecutive wins, 9 consecutive wins) and Yomiuri in 1990 (9 consecutive wins, 3 times). “Hanshin achieved 8 consecutive wins three times in 1947, but this is the first time in the club’s history that it achieved 9 consecutive wins three times,” he explained Hanshin’s great record.
Hanshin's starting pitchers have won all 9 consecutive wins. 스포츠중계무료 Nikkan Sports said, “This is the first time since Softbank between September 30 and October 13, 2011 that a starting pitcher has won more than 9 games. “It has been more info 55 years since Hanshin achieved this record from August 18 to 31, 1968,” he analyzed. He continued, “Hanshin recorded 11 consecutive starting wins in 1937 and 1963. “How far will it continue this time?” he said, looking forward to Hanshin’s upward trend.
Hanshin, on a 9-game winning streak, recorded 78 wins, 4 draws, and 44 losses, widening the gap with second-place Hiroshima (68 wins, 4 draws, 58 losses) and reducing the league championship magic number to 3. It is possible to confirm the league championship as early as the 14th. Japanese media Sports Hochi said, “Hanshin, which achieved its third 9-game winning streak of the season, recorded a win-loss margin of 34, the largest win-loss margin since taking office as coach Akinobu Okada. Even including the previous director, Akihiro Yano, this is the highest record. “There is a possibility of confirming the league championship in the home game held at Koshien Stadium on the 14th, and Class A (3rd or higher) has been confirmed and advancement to the Climax Series has been confirmed,” he said.
Coach Okada said, “Yuki Nishi played really well today. The control was really outstanding. He had a couple of really dangerous pitches, but other than that, he hit the balls really low. He had good control and I think it was probably his best pitching this year. He praised Nishiyuki, who achieved a shutout, saying, “The number of pitches was just right, so I left him until the 9th inning.”
Regarding the possibility of confirming the championship at the home stadium on the 14th, Coach Okada said, “We have to look at the results of the opposing team (Hiroshima) as well. “Anyway, we will do our best tomorrow to reduce the magic number one by one.”
Hanshin has won the Central League championship five times so far (1962, 1964, 1985, 2003, 2005). However, the only Japanese Series victory was in 1985. Fans have high expectations as to whether Hanshin, which is aiming for its sixth league championship, will be able to win the Japan Series for the first time in 38 years.