Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks finished in second place in the regular season in the Pacific League.
The reigning champion then won the best-of-three First Stage of the Climax Series against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 2-1 to advance the Final Stage.
In that Second Round of the Play-Offs, Fukuoka won the best-of-six against league-champion Saitama Seibu Lions, 4-2.
With that, Fukuoka won the Climax Series for the fifth time and qualified for the Japan Series.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp is the champion of the Central League and therefore automatically qualified for the Final Stage of the Climax Series.
Hiroshima swept Yomiuri Giants 4-0 to advance to the Japan Series.
In Game 3 on Tuesday, Fukuoka opened the score with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to runscoring singles by Akira Nakamura and Kenta Imamiya.
Hiroshima got one run back in the fifth when Tomohiro Abe homered, but Fukuoka answered with two runs of its own in its fifth.
Hiroshima then also scored twice in the top of the sixth, including one on a homerun by Seiya Suzuki.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fukuoka rallied for four runs to increase the lead to 8-3.
With two outs, Kenji Akashi and Cuban Yurisbel Gracial Garcia singled, then Yuki Yanagita followed with a runscoring single.
Hereafter, 32-year old Cuban Alfredo Despaigne Rodriguez drove the ball into rightfield for a 3-run homerun.
Despaigne also had batted in a run with a grounder in the fifth inning.
The powerhitter plays in Japan since 2014.
He first played three seasons for Chiba Lotte Marines, but plays for Fukuoka since last year.
33-year old Gracial is playing in his first season in Japan.
...Alfredo Despaigne homered for Fukuoka...
...On the photo, he plays for Cuba during...
...the 2017 World Baseball Classic in Japan...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The home team added another run in the seventh at bat when Hiroaki Takaya homered with two outs.
Takaya had just entered the game defensively in the top of the seventh.
Trailing 9-3, Hiroshima came back into the game and created much suspense by scoring five runs in the top of the eighth inning.
Seiya Suzuki led off with his second homerun in the game.
With one out, Hiroshima got the bases loaded after two singles and a walk.
Next batter Tomohiro Abe then hit a grand slam homerun, which also was his second homerun of the evening.
In the top of the ninth inning, Fukuoka-closer Yuito Mori took the mound.
He led the league this season with 37 saves, but the suspense continued.
Mori gave up singles with one out and two outs, which led to runners on first and third base.
But a grounder then ended the game.
Aríel Miranda Gil was the winning pitcher.
He started the game and struckout seven batters in five innings.
Miranda was signed by Fukuoka on July 17, thirteen days after being released by the Seattle Mariners for whom he pitched in one game this season.
The 29-year old lefthander made his Major League-debut in July 2015 with Baltimore Orioles.
In July 2016, he was traded to Seattle Mariners where he was 8-7 last year pitching in 31 games.
This year, he pitched in only one game for Seattle and was released on July 4.
In 44 Major League-games, Miranda was 13-9 with a 4.72 ERA.
Miranda is one of four Cuban players on the Fukuoka-roster.
Besides Despaigne, Gracial and Mianda, the fourth is 22-year old lefthanded pitcher Liván Moinelo Pita, who plays for Fukuoka since May last year.
In Game 3, Moinelo pitched 2/3 inning to complete the sixth inning.
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Fukuoka nips Hiroshima in third game Japan Series
CHŪŌ-KU, FUKUOKA (Japan) -
Defending champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won 9-8 against Hiroshima Toyo Carp on Tuesday (October 30) in Game 3 of the 69th Nippon Series.
With that, both teams now have won one game after the first match-up on Saturday ended in a 2-2 tie after 12 innings.
On Sunday, Hiroshima won Game 2 with a 5-1 score.
