THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 31, 2022 at 18:27 JST
The Orix Buffaloes celebrate their Japan Series victory against the Yakult Swallows in Game 7 at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on Oct. 30. (Jin Nishioka)
Although the Japan Series championship was within reach, Orix Buffaloes manager Satoshi Nakajima did not give a special pep talk to the team or devise a new strategy.
“I did not say anything in particular to the players today because I am sure they all knew (what to do),” Nakajima said on Oct. 30, after the Buffaloes defeated the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 5-4 to win the series.
It was the first Japan Series championship for Orix since 1996, when Ichiro Suzuki led the team, then known as the BlueWave, to the title.
Ryo Ota put Orix on the scoreboard of Game 7 on Oct. 30 with a solo home run in the first inning at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo.
The Swallows helped the Buffaloes’ cause in the fifth inning with a couple of infield missteps on bunts. Orix slugger Yutaro Sugimoto, who was named series MVP, then belted a drive to centerfield that was mishandled by Yasutaka Shiomi, allowing three runs to score.
Orix led 5-0 after that frame, but Nakajima knew it was too early to start celebrating.
“Yakult is a really strong team,” he said. “I know it will always catch up no matter how many runs were are ahead by.”
Sure enough, the Swallows finally got on the track in the eighth inning, with Munetaka Murakami’s knocking in a run with a single and hot-hitting Jose Osuna blasting a three-run homer that put the score at 5-4.
But the Buffaloes’ Jacob Waguespack earned his third save of the Japan Series by retiring the side in the ninth.
Orix won the series with four wins against two losses and one tie.
It was sweet redemption for the Pacific League champion, which had lost to the Swallows of the Central League in the Japan Series last year.
This year, Yakult won the first game at Jingu Stadium, then made a dramatic comeback in the ninth inning of Game 2, leading to an eventual tie.
The Swallows appeared to be in command of the series when they took Game 3.
But the Buffaloes won four straight games on the back of a pool of powerful relievers to claim its first Japan Series championship in 26 years.
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