Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Franmil Reyes hits a go-ahead two-RBI single in the eighth inning of Game 2 of their first-stage Pacific League Climax Series against the Orix Buffaloes at Es Con Field Hokkaido in Kitahiroshima, Japan, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Kyodo)
KITAHIROSHIMA, Hokkaido (Kyodo) — Franmil Reyes turned the game around with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday as the Nippon Ham Fighters came back to beat the Orix Buffaloes 5-4 and sweep their first-stage Pacific League Climax Series 2-0.
Nippon Ham’s victory sets up a rematch of last year’s PL final-stage Climax Series between skipper Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s youthful Fighters and back-to-back PL pennant winners the SoftBank Hawks.
With the Buffaloes leading 4-3 and aiming to square the best-of-three opening series at a game apiece, Reyes sent veteran right-hander Sho Iwasaki’s two-out, 3-2 fastball into the right field wall to bring home runners from first and second.
Orix slugger Yutaro Sugimoto broke the ice at Es Con Field Hokkaido with his solo home run in the top of the second before Nippon Ham’s Shun Mizutani knotted it 1-1 with his RBI single in the bottom of the inning.
Kotaro Kurebayashi put the Buffaloes up 4-1 with his three-run homer in the top of the third before the Fighters rallied once more, cutting the deficit to 4-3 with a two-RBI triple from Kotaro Kiyomiya in the home half.
AloJapan.com