Yokohama DeNA shut out the Hanshin Tigers 2–0 in Game 1 of the 2026 Central League Climax Series Final Stage. The BayStars scored once in the first inning and once in the sixth, while Hanshin finished with seven hits but no runs. NPB records the completed game at Hanshin Koshien Stadium on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with an attendance of 42,645.
| Game detail | Official record |
|---|---|
| Competition | 2026 JERA Climax Series, Central League Final Stage, Game 1 |
| Date and venue | Wednesday, October 14, 2026; Hanshin Koshien Stadium, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan |
| Final score | Yokohama DeNA BayStars 2, Hanshin Tigers 0 |
| Scheduled first pitch | 6:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+09:00; 09:00 UTC) |
| Actual start and finish | 6:01 p.m. JST (09:01 UTC) to 9:12 p.m. JST (12:12 UTC), October 14 |
| Duration and attendance | 3 hours, 11 minutes; 42,645 |
| Starting pitchers | Hanshin: Murakami; DeNA: Taira |
| Pitching decisions | Win: Taira; loss: Murakami; save: Reynolds |
The official NPB Game 1 record marks the result final and lists the score, inning totals, game time, attendance, and pitching decisions. The NPB schedule for October 14 listed an 18:00 start at Koshien, or 6:00 p.m. JST.
The DeNA vs. Hanshin score changed in only two innings. In the top of the first, DeNA’s Maki walked and Sano followed with a walk. With one out and two runners aboard, Miyazaki lined a single to left field, bringing Maki home. The BayStars had an early 1–0 lead without needing an extra-base hit.
DeNA added an insurance run in the sixth. After two outs, Sano drove a solo home run to right-center field off Murakami. It was the game’s only home run and made the score 2–0. NPB’s play-by-play credits Miyazaki with the first-inning RBI and Sano with the sixth-inning homer.
| Scoring inning | Play | Score after the play |
|---|---|---|
| Top of the 1st | Miyazaki’s RBI single scored Maki | DeNA 1, Hanshin 0 |
| Top of the 6th | Sano hit a solo home run to right-center | DeNA 2, Hanshin 0 |
Hanshin outhit DeNA 7–3, but the hit total did not translate into a run. The Tigers were unable to bring a runner home in any of their nine innings. DeNA committed one error, as did Hanshin; the final result came down to the runs scored, not the advantage in hits.
Taira started for DeNA and worked 5⅔ innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out six. He left without allowing an earned run and received the win. Iwata, Ise, Hamachi, and Reynolds then handled the remaining outs. Reynolds closed the ninth for the save.
Murakami started for Hanshin and pitched six innings. He gave up three hits, two walks, and both DeNA runs, including Sano’s homer, and was charged with the loss. The official box score is the source for each pitcher’s line; the announced starting-pitcher listing alone does not describe the full workload.
Hanshin’s best late chance came in the bottom of the ninth. With Reynolds on the mound, two hits put runners on base. A sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third with one out, giving the Tigers a chance to tie the game with one swing. Reynolds then recorded a short flyout and a groundout to end the threat and complete the 2–0 result.
That closing sequence explains why the save mattered: the score was still within reach, but DeNA kept Hanshin from converting its final opportunity. The official play-by-play records the ninth-inning hits, bunt, and final two outs.
The Final Stage uses a first-to-four-wins format, and the Central League regular-season champion begins with a one-win advantage. Hanshin entered the series with that credited win. DeNA’s Game 1 victory therefore made the running stage count 1–1 immediately after the opener: one advantage win for Hanshin and one played-game win for DeNA. The BayStars had not clinched anything with this result; they had erased Hanshin’s initial cushion. The official BayStars Climax Series page states the four-win rule and Hanshin’s advantage.
Series update through Friday, October 16: DeNA also won Game 2, 1–0, and Game 3, 4–0. That left the overall count at DeNA 3, Hanshin 1 when Hanshin’s starting advantage is included. DeNA needed one more win to reach four. Game 4 was scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at 2:00 p.m. JST (UTC+09:00; 05:00 UTC) at Koshien, according to the club’s official series page and NPB’s schedule. This update separates the Game 1 result from the later series position.
NPB lists the venue as Koshien. Hanshin Koshien Stadium is in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan; the stadium’s official access page gives its Nishinomiya address. Japan Standard Time is UTC+09:00. The scheduled first pitch was 6:00 p.m. JST (09:00 UTC) on October 14; the actual start was 6:01 p.m. JST (09:01 UTC), and the game ended at 9:12 p.m. JST (12:12 UTC), still October 14 in both time references.
For viewers in Japan, Sky A’s official schedule listed a live telecast of Game 1 from 5:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. JST (08:45–13:30 UTC) on October 14. That broadcast window has passed. The listing confirms the scheduled telecast, but it does not establish whether a replay is currently available or whether an international streaming option exists. For the completed score and inning-by-inning record, use the official NPB play-by-play. The Sky A program page is the source for the broadcast listing.
Updated October 16, 2026. Times are shown in Japan Standard Time and UTC; the series context reflects results through Game 3.
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