2016 Japan Series

2016 Japan Series
2016 Japan Series
Team (Wins) Manager Season
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (4) Hideki Kuriyama 87–53–3
Hiroshima Toyo Carp (2) Koichi Ogata 89–52–2
Dates: October 22–29
MVP: Brandon Laird
FSA: Brad Eldred

The 2016 Japan Series was the 67th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp, champions of the Central League, played the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, champions of the Pacific League,[1][2] in a best-of-seven series beginning on October 22. The Japan Series was sponsored by the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and was officially known as the 2016 SMBC Nippon Series.

The Fighters defeated the Carp in six games. Hiroshima took the first two games, and Hokkaido won the next four games to take the series. Hokkaido's Brandon Laird won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award, and Hiroshima's Brad Eldred won the Fighting Spirit Award, given to the best player on the losing team. Anthony Bass, Sho Nakata, and Haruki Nishikawa won outstanding player honors

Climax Series

  First stage     Final stage     Japan Series
                           
  Central League     C1  Hiroshima Toyo Carp 4  
  C2  Yomiuri Giants 1     C3  Yokohama DeNA BayStars 1    
  C3  Yokohama DeNA BayStars 2         C1  Hiroshima Toyo Carp 2
      P1  Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 4
  Pacific League     P1  Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 4    
  P2  Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2     P2  Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2  
  P3  Chiba Lotte Marines 0  

Series notes

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters defeated the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Pacific League Climax Series, four games to two. Sho Nakata was named the most valuable player of the series.[3] The Fighters last won the Japan Series in 2006. They lost the Japan Series in 2007, 2009, and 2012.[2]

The Hiroshima Toyo Carp defeated the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the Central League Climax Series, four games to one. Kosuke Tanaka was named the series' most valuable player. Hiroshima had not appeared in the Japan Series since 1991.[4] Hiroshima pitcher Hiroki Kuroda announced that he would retire following the series.[5]

Game summaries

Hokkaido won the series, 4–2.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 22Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 1, Hiroshima Toyo Carp – 5Mazda Stadium3:3930,619[6] 
2October 23Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 1, Hiroshima Toyo Carp – 5Mazda Stadium3:1830,638[7] 
3October 25Hiroshima Toyo Carp – 3, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 4 (10)Sapporo Dome3:5140,503[8] 
4October 26Hiroshima Toyo Carp – 1, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 3Sapporo Dome3:3040,599[9] 
5October 27Hiroshima Toyo Carp – 1, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 5Sapporo Dome3:3240,633[10] 
6October 29Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 10, Hiroshima Toyo Carp – 4Mazda Stadium4:0130,693[11]

Matchups

Game 1

Brad Eldred hit home runs for Hiroshima in Games 1, 2, and 3
October 22, 2016 6:30PM JST at Mazda Stadium, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hokkaido 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 0
Hiroshima 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 0 X 5 7 0
WP: Kris Johnson (1–0)   LP: Shohei Otani (0–1)
Home runs:
HOK: Brandon Laird (1)
HIR: Ryuhei Matsuyama (1), Brad Eldred (1)
Attendance: 30,619
Boxscore

Kris Johnson, the Carp's starting pitcher, allowed one run in  6 2⁄3 innings pitched, while Hokkaido's Shohei Otani allowed three runs in six innings. Hiroshima's Ryuhei Matsuyama and Brad Eldred both hit home runs off of Otani in the fourth inning, while Hokkaido's Brandon Laird hit a home run in the seventh inning. Hiroshima responded in the seventh inning with a run batted in (RBI) single by Yoshihiro Maru and a RBI sacrifice fly by Eldred.[12]

Game 2

Yusuke Nomura earned the win for Hiroshima in Game 2
October 23, 2016 6:30PM JST at Mazda Stadium, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hokkaido 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 1
Hiroshima 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 X 5 7 1
WP: Yusuke Nomura (1–0)   LP: Hirotoshi Masui (0–1)
Home runs:
HOK: None
HIR: Brad Eldred (2)
Attendance: 30,638
Boxscore

Yui Kamiji threw the ceremonial first pitch.[13] The Carp broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning, which included Eldred's second home run of the series. Yusuke Nomura, who led the Central League with 16 wins during the regular season, allowed one unearned run in six innings pitched for Hiroshima.[14]

Game 3

Shohei Otani drove in the game-winning run in Game 3
October 25, 2016 6:30PM JST at Sapporo Dome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Hiroshima 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 8 1
Hokkaido 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 4 6 0
WP: Anthony Bass (1–0)   LP: Daichi Ohsera (0–1)
Home runs:
HIR: Brad Eldred (3)
HOK: None
Attendance: 40,503
Boxscore

Kuroda allowed one run in  5 2⁄3 innings for the Carp, leaving the game due to a leg injury. Eldred hit a two-run home run, his third of the series. Hokkaido took the lead with a two RBI double by Sho Nakata in the eighth inning, and Tomohiro Abe tied the game for Hiroshima with an RBI single in the ninth inning. Otani, playing as Hokkaido's designated hitter, hit two doubles earlier in the game and drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single in the tenth inning, scoring Haruki Nishikawa.[15]

Game 4

Brandon Laird hit the game-winning home run in Game 4
October 26, 2016 6:30PM JST at Sapporo Dome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hiroshima 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 1
Hokkaido 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 X 3 5 1
WP: Keisuke Tanimoto (1–0)   LP: Jay Jackson (0–1)   Sv: Naoki Miyanishi (1)
Home runs:
HIR: None
HOK: Sho Nakata (1), Brandon Laird (2)
Attendance: 40,599
Boxscore

Hiroshima took a 1–0 lead in the fourth inning, when Takahiro Arai scored on an error committed by Kensuke Kondo. Hokkaido's Sho Nakata hit a home run to tie the game in the sixth inning. Brandon Laird broke the tie with a two-run home run in the eighth inning for Hokkaido. Hiroshima had the bases loaded in the ninth inning, but Naoki Miyanishi recorded the save by striking out Yoshihiro Maru.[16]

Game 5

Haruki Nishikawa hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning of Game 5.
October 27, 2016 6:30PM JST at Sapporo Dome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hiroshima 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0
Hokkaido 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 5 7 0
WP: Anthony Bass (2–0)   LP: Shota Nakazaki (0–1)
Home runs:
HIR: None
HOK: Haruki Nishikawa
Attendance: 40,633
Boxscore

Johnson started Game 5 for Hiroshima, while Takayuki Kato started for Hokkaido.[16] Seiya Suzuki had an RBI single in the first inning for Hiroshima. Kato failed to complete the second inning, and Luis Mendoza threw  5 2⁄3 scoreless innings for the Fighters. Johnson did not allow a run in six innings pitched. Takuya Nakashima had an RBI single to tie the game for Hokkaido in the seventh inning. Nishikawa hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning for Hokkaido.[17]

Game 6

Sho Nakata earned outstanding player honors.
October 29, 2016 6:30PM JST at Mazda Stadium, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hokkaido 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 6 0 10 12 2
Hiroshima 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 7 1
WP: Anthony Bass (3–0)   LP: Jay Jackson (0–2)
Home runs:
HOK: Brandon Laird (3)
HIR: Yoshihiro Maru (1)
Attendance: 30,693
Boxscore

With the game tied 4-4 in the eighth inning, Nakata drew a bases loaded walk, Anthony Bass hit an RBI single, and Laird hit a grand slam. Laird, who hit three home runs in the series, won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award, while Eldred won the Fighting Spirit Award, given to the best player on the losing team. Bass, Nakata, and Nishikawa earned outstanding player honors for the series.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Carp pitcher Kuroda announces decision to retire after Japan Series". October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2016 – via Japan Times Online.
  2. 1 2 "Fighters beat Hawks 7–4 to reach Japan Series ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion". Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Never-say-die attitude takes Fighters to Japan Series". The Japan Times. October 16, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Carp hold off BayStars, advance to Japan Series for first time since 1991". October 15, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2016 – via Japan Times Online.
  5. ↑ "Ex-Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to retire, wants beer shower". NJ.com. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Saturday, October 22, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Sunday, October 23, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Tuesday, October 25, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Wednesday, October 26, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Thursday, October 27, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Saturday, October 29, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  12. ↑ Coskrey, Jason (October 23, 2016). "Carp capitalize on big plays, stellar pitching to beat Fighters in Game 1". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Carp take 2–0 lead over Fighters in Japan Series". Japan Today. October 24, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  14. ↑ Coskrey, Jason (October 23, 2016). "Carp sink Fighters to take 2–0 Japan Series lead". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  15. ↑ Coskrey, Jason (October 26, 2016). "Otani delivers game-winning single in 10th as Fighters prevail in Game 3". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Coskrey, Jason (October 27, 2016). "Laird sends Fighters past Carp to tie Japan Series". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  17. ↑ Coskrey, Jason (October 27, 2016). "Late-game heroics propel Fighters to brink of Japan Series title: Haruki Nishikawa slugs game-winning grand slam in ninth inning". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  18. ↑ Coskrey, Jason (October 29, 2016). "Fighters wrap up Japan Series title with dramatic eighth-inning fireworks". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Former Yankee Laird leads Nippon Ham to Japan Series title". USA Today. Associated Press. October 29, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
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