South Korean outfielder Lee Seung-yeop drove in all three runs on Wednesday, leading Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines to a 3-2 win over the Hanshin Tigers and their first Japan Series title in 31 years.
Lotte is the first team to sweep a Japan Series since 2002, when the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Seibu Lions. Valentine, meanwhile, becomes the first foreign manager in the 70-year history of Japanese baseball to win a Japan Series.
"I feel wonderful," said Valentine. "We started in spring training with a dream to be here for the last game. We wanted to win the last game and we did."
Valentine, who took the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000 where they lost in five games to the New York Yankees, is in his second stint with the Marines. He guided the team to a second-place finish in 1995.
"I would like to thank everyone in the Lotte organization," said Valentine. "Including [team owner] Mr. Shigemitsu, who had the faith to bring me back for a second time."
Lee connected for a two-run homer in the second inning at Koshien Stadium to give the Marines a 2-0 lead and then drove in a run in the third with a double off Hanshin starter Naohisa Sugiyama.
Lotte starter Dan Serafini gave up two runs on five hits over 5-1/3 innings for the win.
Makoto Imaoka drove in a run with a bloop single in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-1. Pinch-hitter Shinjiro Hiyama hit a single to right to cut the lead to one run.
After Lotte reliever Masahide Kobayashi walked Atsushi Kataoka to leadoff the ninth. Akihiro Yano then hit into a double play on a failed sacrifice bunt before Kobayashi struck out Atsushi Fujimoto to end the game.
Toshiaki Imae was named the series MVP after going 10-for-15 with four RBIs. He also set a new Japan Series record for consecutive hits when he went 8-for-8 in the first two games.
DOUBLE: Harry Kane has now netted 12 goals in six games, scoring his second hat-trick this season after Bayern’s opening Bundesliga match against Leipzig last month That man again. Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season on Saturday to steer Bayern Munich to a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim for the best Bundesliga start any team has made after four rounds. The England captain scored before the break and converted two penalties after it to take his club tally to 12 goals in six games across all competitions — 13 goals in seven games including the German Supercup. Kane’s other hat-trick was in the Bundesliga-opening 6-0 rout of Leipzig. Bayern’s record of 12 points with a goal difference of 15-plus is the best after four rounds of the Bundesliga
San Francisco Giants pitcher Teng Kai-wei impressed against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday despite an 8-1 loss in the opener of the team’s nine-game road trip. Teng, the only Taiwanese pitcher active in MLB, struck out five while allowing two hits and one walk over four innings at Chase Field to finish with a no decision, as the teams were tied 1-1 when he finished his outing. He surrendered the lone run of his outing in the bottom of the first, which began with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts. Diamondbacks leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo advanced to third on
Rwanda is to take center stage from today as the first African country to host the cycling world championships, in its latest use of sports to improve the country’s reputation. As it prepares for 5,000 cyclists and 20,000 spectators, Rwanda has spruced up its roads, created a network of cycle lanes and run multiple police drills. A poor, landlocked country in east Africa still widely associated with a horrific genocide in 1994, Rwanda has used various sports to revamp its image, attract tourists and impress investors with its organizational efficiency. It has spent lavishly on soccer sponsorship deals with clubs
New Zealand yesterday basked in “amazing” athletics glory after winning two gold medals in as many days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Geordie Beamish on Monday claimed New Zealand’s first track gold in history with a shock victory in the 3,000m steeplechase, while high jumper Hamish Kerr followed with gold on Tuesday to make it an unprecedented double success for a country much better known for rugby than its prowess in track and field. Before this week, the country had won only six golds in total at the championships. Yesterday morning New Zealand were in the giddy position of fourth on