2022 Japan Series

José Osuna had a home run and three runs batted in for Yakult in Game 1.

Yasuhiro Ogawa started Game 1 for Yakult while Yoshinobu Yamamoto started for Orix.[15] In the bottom of the first inning, José Osuna recorded two runs batted in (RBIs) for the Swallows on a double that scored Yasutaka Shiomi and Munetaka Murakami. Orix tied the score in the second inning with an RBI single by Kotaro Kurebayashi and a bases loaded walk by Shuhei Fukuda, but Shiomi broke the tie with a home run in the third inning and Osuna hit a home run in the fourth inning. Yamamoto left the game in the fifth inning due to muscle cramp, after allowing four runs. Takahiro Okada had an RBI single for the Buffaloes in the top of the eighth inning, but Yakult scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning.[16]

Sōma Uchiyama's pinch hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning tied Game 2.

Sachiya Yamasaki, Orix's starting pitcher for Game 2, recorded an RBI single off of Cy Sneed, Yakult's starting pitcher, in the third inning. The Buffaloes added a second run in the inning on an error by Domingo Santana, Yakult's right fielder. Yutaro Sugimoto hit an RBI infield single for Orix in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 3–0. Pinch hitting for the Swallows in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sōma Uchiyama hit a three-run home run off of Shota Abe, after a double by Takeshi Miyamoto and a walk issued to Yasutaka Shiomi, to tie the game.[17] Neither team scored during extra innings, and the game ended in a tie after the 12th inning. It was the first tied Japan Series game since Game 1 of the 2018 Japan Series.[18]

Tetsuto Yamada hit the go-ahead home run for the Swallows in Game 3.

For Game 3, the series shifted to Orix's home stadium, the Kyocera Dome Osaka. The game was scoreless into the top of the fifth inning, when Tetsuto Yamada hit a three-run home run for the Swallows off of Orix's starting pitcher, Hiroya Miyagi. Keiji Takahashi started for Yakult and threw six innings without allowing a run, only permitting three hits and two walks against seven strikeouts. Yakult added their fourth run when their cleanup hitter, Munetaka Murakami, drew a walk with the bases loaded. Murakami drove in two runs in the ninth inning on his second double of the game, and Osuna drove Murakami home with an RBI single to extend the lead to 7–0. Orix scored one run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but lost 7–1.[19]

Yutaro Sugimoto's RBI single in the third inning was Game 4's only run.

Taisuke Yamaoka started Game 4 for Orix while Masanori Ishikawa started for Yakult.[19] Orix's Keita Nakagawa was hit by a pitch in the third inning and Yutaro Sugimoto scored the run with an RBI single. Yamaoka pitched 4+1⁄3 innings, allowing a triple to Yakult in the fifth inning, but relief pitcher Yuki Udagawa prevented the runner from scoring with two strikeouts. Orix's pitchers threw a combined shutout, allowing six hits to the Swallows.[20]

Masataka Yoshida hit two home runs for Orix in Game 5, including the walk-off home run

Orix started Daiki Tajima in Game 5 while Yakult started Hikaru Yamashita.[20] Yakult took the lead in the top of the first inning on a single by Norichika Aoki and an RBI single by José Osuna. In the second inning, Domingo Santana hit a solo home run for Yakult off of Tajima. The Buffaloes tied the game in the fourth inning with four hits off of Yamashita, including RBIs by Kotaro Kurebayashi and Kenya Wakatsuki. With the score tied at two, Masataka Yoshida hit a solo home run for Orix off of Yamashita in the bottom of the fifth inning. In the top of the sixth inning, the Swallows retook the lead with an RBI double by Aoki. Entering the bottom of the ninth inning trailing 4–3, Orix tied the game on a walk and an infield single, followed by a throwing error by Scott McGough that allowed the tying run to score. Yoshida hit a walk-off home run off of McGough to end the game.[21]

Sachiya Yamasaki and four relief pitchers combined to allow one hit in Game 6.

Sachiya Yamasaki started Game 6 for Orix, while Yasuhiro Ogawa started for Yakult. Yamasaki pitched five shutout innings. The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth inning, when Ryo Ota hit a single, was advanced to second base on a sacrifice hit, and scored on an RBI single by Yutaro Sugimoto. Orix scored two more runs in the ninth inning following a throwing error by Scott McGough. Yakult led off the game with a hit in the first inning, but Yamasaki and four relief pitchers (Yuki Udagawa, Yoshihisa Hirano, Soichiro Yamazaki, and Jacob Waguespack) combined to shut out Yakult, only allowing the one hit.[22]

Ryo Ota led off Game 7 for Orix with a home run.

In Game 7, Hiroya Miyagi started for Orix and Cy Sneed started for Yakult.[22] Ryo Ota led off the game for Orix with a solo home run. In the top of the fifth inning, Orix's Torai Fushimi singled, followed by bunt singles by Miyagi and Ota. Yakult's first baseman José Osuna turned a double play, but a walk loaded the bases, a hit by pitch scored a run, and then a line drive by Yutaro Sugimoto to center fielder Yasutaka Shiomi was misplayed for an error that allowed three runs to score. Pitching on short rest, Miyagi allowed three hits and one walk over five innings. Yakult scored four runs in the eighth inning, including a three-run home run by Osuna, but Motoki Higa was able to escape the inning for Orix with a 5–4 lead. Orix held on to win the game and the series, as Jacob Waguespack earned his third save of the series. Sugimoto won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award.[23]