Game RECAP May 4 / 2025 Hanshin vs Yakult Swallows
RECAP
Hanshin Falls Late to Yakult, Drops to Second Place in Standings
The Hanshin Tigers were outpaced in the late innings and saw their two-game winning streak come to an end. With the Yomiuri Giants winning their game, Hanshin slipped to second place in the standings.
Rookie starter Ibihara pitched solidly through six innings, allowing just one run. He ventured into new territory by taking the mound in the 7th for the first time in his career, but fatigue and pressure began to show. After issuing a walk and giving up a single, he faced pinch-hitter Masuda, who drove a two-run triple into the right-center gap. That blow ended Ibihara’s night after 6 1/3 innings and 100 pitches, leaving him with 7 hits, 4 earned runs, and his first professional loss. In the dugout, he watched the remainder of the game with frustration on his face.
Hanshin’s offense struggled against veteran lefty Ishikawa, who executed his pitches precisely on the corners and kept the Tigers off balance. In the 4th inning, Morishita provided a brief spark with his third home run of the season—his first at Koshien this year—to tie the game. However, that would be the only run Hanshin managed through six innings.
Ishikawa, at 45 years old, improved to 2–0 against the Tigers this season. Overall, Hanshin has struggled against left-handed starters, now with a 4–9 record against southpaws.
Box
| Order | # | Name | AB | R | H | RBI | SB | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Chikamoto | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | G6 | – | L6 | – | F7 | – | 1B | – | 1B |
| 2 | 51 | Nakano | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | K | – | 1B | – | – | K | G5① | – | L6 |
| 3 | 1 | Morishita | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1B | – | – | HR① | – | G6 | G4 | – | – |
| 4 | 8 | Sato | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | F8 | – | – | G4 | – | 1B | – | K | – |
| 5 | 3 | Ohyama | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 2B | – | G6 | – | BB | – | G6 | – |
| 6 | 58 | Maegawa | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | L3 | – | FF3 | – | F9 | – | F8 | – |
| 7 | 12 | Sakamoto | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | G6 | – | – | BB | – | – | – | – |
| 0 | Kinami | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | K | – | – | |
| 2 | Umeno | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | K | |
| 8 | 4 | Obata | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | F8 | – | – | GDP | – | 1B | – | 1B |
| 9 | 18 | Ihara | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | G1 | – | 1B | – | – | – | – |
| 34 | Urushihara | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 33 | Itohara | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | BB | – | ||
| 24 | Kudo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 46 | Shimamoto | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 60 | Shimada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | F8 |
| # | Name | NP | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | K | WP | BK | R | ER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LP | 18 | Ihara | 100 | 27 | 6.1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 34 | Urushihara | 22 | 4 | 0.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | Kudo | 15 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 46 | Shimamoto | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |