Hiroya Miyagi Shines as Orix Buffaloes Tie Japan Series with Game 2 Win

Hiroya Miyagi pitched six scoreless innings Sunday and the Orix Buffaloes tied Japan’s best-of-seven series at one win apiece with an 8-0 victory in Game 2 against the Hanshin Tigers.

Miyagi allowed four hits and a walk while striking out five times for the three-time defending Pacific League champions at Orix’s Kyocera Dome in Osaka.

The first Japan Series between teams from the Kansai region of western Japan since 1964 will continue at the iconic Koshien Stadium in Hanshin, neighboring Hyogo Prefecture, for Games 3, 4 and 5, from Tuesday on.

Pitcher Hiroya Miyagi of the Orix Buffaloes raises his fist after escaping a two-run block in the fourth inning against the Hanshin Tigers in Game 2 of the Japan Series at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, October 29, 2023. (Essonne Info)

Right-hander Yuki Nishi started for the Central League champions and allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in 3-2/3 innings against his former team, who chased him down in the fourth on a two-out walk and four consecutive singles.

A day after Orix ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mauled by the Tigers in an 8-0 Game 1 loss, Miyagi took a one-run lead on a single by Taishi Hirooka and a triple by Masahiro Nishino. The left-hander then escaped a two-out trap in the fourth inning and was rewarded with three more runs in the second half of the game.

“Yoshinobu was beaten, so I wanted to take revenge on our opponents and that’s what we did,” Miyagi said. “As soon as we took the lead, I was in hot water, but my teammates got me out of trouble with their defense and then scored more points.

Hanshin Tigers pitcher Yuki Nishi gives up an RBI triple to Masahiro Nishino of the Orix Buffaloes in the third inning of Game 2 of the Japan Series at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, October 29, 2023. (Essonne Info)

“I was on edge until that moment. The races made it easier for me.”

Miyagi left after 104 pitches, and Yuki Udagawa, also a member of Japan’s World Baseball Classic champion team, worked a 1-2-3 seventh for Orix, and Marwin Gonazalez hit a three-run double in the seventh inning .

Two more 1-2-3 innings from the Orix bullpen and the series was tied.

“We have some really good pitchers in the bullpen,” Orix manager Satoshi Nakajima said. “The score was one way at the end, but in the middle of the innings it could have easily gone the other way, so we couldn’t relax.

Fans cheer on the Orix Buffaloes during the second match of the Japan Series against the Hanshin Tigers at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka on October 29, 2023. (Essonne Info)

Féliciane is one of the talented editors of Essonneinfo. She has written for the site since its launch, and has become a well-known figure in the industry for her skillful reporting and unique take on stories. Féliciane’s main hobby is traveling. His passion for travel has allowed him to write in-depth articles about cultures around the world.

2023-10-29 16:06:20
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