Oct 26 2006 07:23 AM
Nippon Ham Fighters win first Japan Series in 44 years
(Mainichi)SAPPORO -- Fernando Seguignol hit a two-run homer and Yu Darvish went 7-1/3 strong innings Thursday as Trey Hillman's Nippon Ham Fighters defeated the Chunichi Dragons 4-1 to win the Japan Series.
 Atsunori Inaba (right) and Fernando Seguignol of the Nippon Ham Fighters hug following Inaba's home run in the bottom of the sixth in Game 5 of the Japan Series in Sapporo on Thursday night. The Fighters defeated the Chunichi Dragons to win their first Japan Series in 44 years. |
It was the second straight year that an American manager has led his team to victory in the Japan Series. The Chiba Lotte Marines swept the Hanshin Tigers last year under former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
Darvish, who went 12-5 in the regular season, held the Dragons to one run on eight hits while striking out six as the Fighters won their first Japan Series title since 1962, when they were known as the Toei Flyers.
Atsunori Inaba, who drove in two runs in Wednesday's game, hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to widen the lead to 4-1.
Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Micheal Nakamura retired the side in the ninth for the save.
The Dragons won the first game at Nagoya Dome but couldn't get their offense on track and lost the next four games.
The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a bases-loaded infield single by Masahiro Araki. But the Fighters came right back in the fifth, tying the game on a suicide squeeze by Makoto Kaneko.
Hillman is among several candidates to replace Buck Showalter as manager of the Texas Rangers. A native of Arlington, Hillman was the director of player development in Texas before coming to Japan four years ago.
The Dragons haven't won a Japan Series championship since 1954. They have won the Central League pennant seven times but, as in years past, struggled offensively in the series, scoring only eight runs in five games.
It was the final game for Nippon Ham center fielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo. The former New York Mets and San Francisco Giants player had previously announced his retirement. (AP)
