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Hub AI
2017 Japan Series AI simulator
(@2017 Japan Series_simulator)
Hub AI
2017 Japan Series AI simulator
(@2017 Japan Series_simulator)
2017 Japan Series
The 2017 Japan Series (known as the SMBC Nippon Series 2017 for sponsorship reasons) was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason. The 68th edition of the Japan Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Pacific League and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Central League.
SoftBank finished in first place in the Pacific League during the 2017 regular season, while the BayStars advanced to the postseason after finishing in third place in the Central League. In the 2017 Climax Series, the Hawks defeated the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to win the Pacific League Championship. The BayStars defeated the Hiroshima Toyo Carp to become the Central League champions, becoming the first Central League team to finish in third place during the regular season to win a Climax Series.
The Hawks won the first three games of the series. Facing elimination, the BayStars won Games 4 and 5. Returning home, the Hawks won Game 6 to win the series, 4–2. Hawks' pitcher Dennis Sarfate, with two saves and a Game 6 win, was named the Japan Series Most Valuable Player (MVP). Toshiro Miyazaki won the Fighting Spirit Award, given to the best player on the losing team. This is the first Japan Series loss for the BayStars, having won in two previous appearances in 1960 and 1998.
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars last won the Japan Series in 1998. They had losing records in every season from 2002 through 2016, with ten last place finishes in that span. In 2012, DeNA purchased the BayStars from the Tokyo Broadcasting System. DeNA focused on increasing attendance at Yokohama Stadium and improving the team, hiring Alex Ramírez as their manager in 2016. The BayStars finished in third place in the Central League in 2017, 13+1⁄2 games behind the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Their .252 team batting average and 134 home runs were both second best in the Central League. The BayStars defeated the Hanshin Tigers and then the Carp in the 2017 Central League Climax Series, becoming the first third place team to advance to the Japan Series from the Central League. José López was the most valuable player (MVP) of the Central League Climax Series.
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have won three Japan Series championships since 2011. Their 3.22 earned run average was the lowest in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2017, and Dennis Sarfate set an NPB single-season record with 54 saves. Alfredo Despaigne and Yuki Yanagita both hit over 30 home runs, as the Hawks hit 164 home runs, the most in NPB during the regular season. They defeated the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the 2017 Pacific League Climax Series. Seiichi Uchikawa was named the MVP of the Pacific League Climax Series. Uchikawa, the captain of the Hawks, played for Yokohama for ten seasons.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the series, 4–2.
Kodai Senga started for the Hawks, and Shoichi Ino started for the BayStars. The Hawks scored in the first inning when Despaigne hit a run batted in (RBI) double, scoring Yanagita. In the second inning, Yuya Hasegawa hit a two-run home run. The BayStars scored a run on an RBI ground ball by Masayuki Kuwahara in the top of the fifth inning, but the Hawks scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Kenta Imamiya scored on an RBI single by Despaigne, Keizo Kawashima and Takuya Kai drew walks with the bases loaded, Yanagita had a two RBI single, and Imamiya had a two RBI triple. Senga allowed one unearned run on four hits in seven innings pitched to earn the victory.
Nao Higashihama started for the Hawks, pitching 5+1⁄3 innings, and allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Shōta Imanaga started for the BayStars, allowing one run and five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings. The BayStars scored all three of their runs in the sixth inning, with a solo home run by Takayuki Kajitani and a two-run home run by Toshiro Miyazaki. The Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-RBI single by Akira Nakamura that resulted in a close play at home plate. Instant replay determined that Imamiya was safe, giving Softbank a one-run lead. Sarfate earned the save.
2017 Japan Series
The 2017 Japan Series (known as the SMBC Nippon Series 2017 for sponsorship reasons) was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason. The 68th edition of the Japan Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Pacific League and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Central League.
SoftBank finished in first place in the Pacific League during the 2017 regular season, while the BayStars advanced to the postseason after finishing in third place in the Central League. In the 2017 Climax Series, the Hawks defeated the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to win the Pacific League Championship. The BayStars defeated the Hiroshima Toyo Carp to become the Central League champions, becoming the first Central League team to finish in third place during the regular season to win a Climax Series.
The Hawks won the first three games of the series. Facing elimination, the BayStars won Games 4 and 5. Returning home, the Hawks won Game 6 to win the series, 4–2. Hawks' pitcher Dennis Sarfate, with two saves and a Game 6 win, was named the Japan Series Most Valuable Player (MVP). Toshiro Miyazaki won the Fighting Spirit Award, given to the best player on the losing team. This is the first Japan Series loss for the BayStars, having won in two previous appearances in 1960 and 1998.
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars last won the Japan Series in 1998. They had losing records in every season from 2002 through 2016, with ten last place finishes in that span. In 2012, DeNA purchased the BayStars from the Tokyo Broadcasting System. DeNA focused on increasing attendance at Yokohama Stadium and improving the team, hiring Alex Ramírez as their manager in 2016. The BayStars finished in third place in the Central League in 2017, 13+1⁄2 games behind the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Their .252 team batting average and 134 home runs were both second best in the Central League. The BayStars defeated the Hanshin Tigers and then the Carp in the 2017 Central League Climax Series, becoming the first third place team to advance to the Japan Series from the Central League. José López was the most valuable player (MVP) of the Central League Climax Series.
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have won three Japan Series championships since 2011. Their 3.22 earned run average was the lowest in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2017, and Dennis Sarfate set an NPB single-season record with 54 saves. Alfredo Despaigne and Yuki Yanagita both hit over 30 home runs, as the Hawks hit 164 home runs, the most in NPB during the regular season. They defeated the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the 2017 Pacific League Climax Series. Seiichi Uchikawa was named the MVP of the Pacific League Climax Series. Uchikawa, the captain of the Hawks, played for Yokohama for ten seasons.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the series, 4–2.
Kodai Senga started for the Hawks, and Shoichi Ino started for the BayStars. The Hawks scored in the first inning when Despaigne hit a run batted in (RBI) double, scoring Yanagita. In the second inning, Yuya Hasegawa hit a two-run home run. The BayStars scored a run on an RBI ground ball by Masayuki Kuwahara in the top of the fifth inning, but the Hawks scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Kenta Imamiya scored on an RBI single by Despaigne, Keizo Kawashima and Takuya Kai drew walks with the bases loaded, Yanagita had a two RBI single, and Imamiya had a two RBI triple. Senga allowed one unearned run on four hits in seven innings pitched to earn the victory.
Nao Higashihama started for the Hawks, pitching 5+1⁄3 innings, and allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Shōta Imanaga started for the BayStars, allowing one run and five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings. The BayStars scored all three of their runs in the sixth inning, with a solo home run by Takayuki Kajitani and a two-run home run by Toshiro Miyazaki. The Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-RBI single by Akira Nakamura that resulted in a close play at home plate. Instant replay determined that Imamiya was safe, giving Softbank a one-run lead. Sarfate earned the save.