Havana, October 16 (RHC) – Today, the SoftBank Hawks defeated the Nippon Ham Fighters 3-0, leaving them just one win away from advancing to the grand final of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
Undefeated in the Pacific League Climax Series, the Falcons relied on the outstanding pitching of Yuki Matsumoto and Kazuki Sugiyama, who combined to shut out their opponents on the turf of Fukuoka’s Mizuho PayPay Dome.
Venezuelan Darwinzon Hernández also contributed to the victory, pitching one inning in which he allowed a single and struck out one batter.
For the Fighters, Cuban Ariel Martínez had two hits in three at-bats, while Dominican Franmil Reyes had one hit in four plate appearances.
In the Central League, the Hanshin Tigers defeated the DeNA Stars 5-3 at home in Nishinomiya, taking a two-to-one lead. In both series, the first team to reach four wins will earn a ticket to the finals.