Hanshin Tigers defeat Orix Buffaloes in seven, claim 2023 Japan Series title

The Hanshin Tigers defeated the defending champions,Orix Buffaloes in seven games to claim their first Japan Series title in 38 years. Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara congratulated the two teams for the hard-fought final series.

First-year manager Akinobu Okada is the only Tiger returning from the 1985 Japan Series champions. At the time, Okada was the Tigers starting second baseman.

"The last time we were No. 1 in Japan, I was just 27," he commented. "It's been a long time."

It's Okada's second stint as a Hanshin Tigers manager. He led them to the 2004 Japan Series but lost to the Chiba Lotte Marines. The Tigers let him go after the 2008 season. They returned to the Japan Series in 2014 but lost to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Japan Series Results

Game Seven was played at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, the home of the Buffaloes. Former Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder Sheldon Neuse broke a 0-0 tie in the fourth as he hit a three-run homer off lefty-hander Hiroya Miyagi. It was his second home run of the series.

"I had two strikes with runners in scoring position, and I was just trying to get a base hit," commented Neuse after the game.

Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Koyo Aoyagi pitched 4.2 scoreless innings for the Tigers. Masashi Ito followed with three scoreless innings. Yuma Tongu hit his third home run of the series off Tigers closer Suguru Iwazaki to give the Buffaloes their only run.

Game 7 highlights

Tigers centre fielder and leadoff man Koji Chikamoto combined for 14 hits in the Series and earned MVP honours.

"We came out to play hard each and every game, and the result was that we played good games," Chikamoto told the Kyodo News Agency.

The seven games totalled 257,398 paying spectators, an average of 36,771 per game.

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