[Game Summary]
On June 21, 2025, at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, the second game of the Nippon Life Interleague Series between the Hanshin Tigers and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ended in a 3-0 shutout victory for Hanshin, avenging the previous day’s extra-inning loss.
Hanshin came out swinging in the first inning against SoftBank starter Naoyuki Uwasawa. With one out and runners on first and second, cleanup hitter Teruaki Sato delivered a timely single to center, giving the Tigers an early lead. Moments later, with the bases loaded, Ryuhei Obata smashed a two-run double over center field, capping a three-run first inning.
On the mound, Hanshin’s starter Kotaro Otake was nothing short of dominant. Facing his former team, he held SoftBank to just one hit and no runs through 5 2/3 innings of superb pitching. With the win, Otake became only the 21st player in NPB history—and the first ever from developmental league origins—to earn victories against all 12 professional teams, a truly historic feat.
After Otake’s exit due to apparent finger cramps, the Hanshin bullpen took over and shut the door completely. Takuma Kirishiki, Masaki Oyokawa, Nelson, and closer Yu Iwasaki combined to complete the shutout. Kirishiki was especially impressive, stepping in under pressure and striking out three batters in a row to extinguish a threat.
SoftBank’s Uwasawa showed grit after his rough first inning, but the Hawks' offense never found its rhythm, managing only five hits and failing to score.
[Impressions]
Otake’s performance against his former team was spectacular. He may not have overpowering speed or flashy breaking balls, but his mastery of tempo and pitch variation keeps hitters off balance—a style that’s deceptively brilliant and clearly effective.
Though he had to leave early due to finger cramps—possibly from the heat—the bullpen stepped up beautifully. It felt like Hanshin finally played a game in “their style” again. If they can keep this momentum, it would be fantastic to finish interleague play at .500 tomorrow.
