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The Yomiuri Shimbun Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks starter Kohei Arihara reacts during Game 1 of the Japan Series against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on Saturday night at Yokohama Stadium.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
15:31 JST, October 27, 2024
YOKOHAMA — Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo had no doubts about who was going to get the ball to start Game 1 of the Japan Series.
“Through what he did during the season, he was the ace acknowledged by the fans,” Kokubo said of right-hander Kohei Arihara. “For this team at this time, that is the position he fills.”
Until a wild ninth inning after Arihara had left the game added some late drama, the veteran had lived up to the expectations and kept the opener against the Yokohama BayStars under complete control with a masterful performance.
Arihara allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings and, making a rare plate appearance, delivered a two-run single as the Hawks held on for a 5-3 victory at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday night.
“From the first pitch, I want to be able to throw my pitches,” said Arihara, the Pacific League-leader this season with 14 wins.
He gave up a hit and a walk in the first inning, but worked out of the jam by getting Toshiro Miyazaki to ground out to second. From there he found his rhythm, mixing up his cut fastball and slider.
“I had good control of my breaking pitches,” said Arihara, who particularly made things difficult for left-handed hitters by cutting the inside corner of the plate.
The hits that he allowed from the second inning on were harmless flies on jammed pitches or ground balls, and he continued to pile up the outs.
He struck out four and walked two, but his exploits were not limited to the mound. With the designated hitter not being used, he had to take his cuts at the plate. And for the Hawks, it was a good thing that he did.
The Hawks had runners on second and third with two outs in the second inning when the BayStars opted to give Takuya Kai an intentional walk to pitch to Arihara — who lashed a 150-kph fastball from Yokohama starter Andre Jackson to right field to drive in two runs.
“I just swung trying to get the bat on the ball,” Arihara said. “It was a miracle.”
Darwinzon Hernandez relieved Arihara in the eighth, giving up one hit in a scoreless inning.
The Hawks padded their lead with three runs in the top of the ninth, only to see the BayStars strike back before the home crowd of 33,147 with a rally against Roberto Osuna, who managed to limit the damage to three runs before finishing up the win.
The Hawks are aiming for the franchise’s 12th title and first since they won four straight from 2017-2020. The BayStars, who finished third in the Central League but worked their way through the Climax Series, are looking for their third title and first since 1998.
The 32-year-old Arihara spent six seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, who made him their No. 1 draft pick out of Waseda University in 2014. He then made the jump to the major leagues, where he played two less-than-spectacular seasons with the Texas Rangers before returning to Japan by signing with the Hawks in 2023.
