Hanshin Recaptures First Place with an Onslaught of 4 Home Runs and 10 Runs! TV Osaka's May 12th Broadcast of 'Nama Tora Stadium: Tokyo Yakult Swallows vs. Hanshin Tigers' Tops Viewership Among Osaka Stations in its Time Slot!

The second part (19:00-20:54) of 'Nama Tora Stadium', broadcast on Tuesday, May 12th, from Meiji Jingu Stadium, achieved a 6.9% viewership rating, the top among Osaka-based stations. The peak viewership was 8.5%, recorded at 20:45 when Shota Morishita hit his league-leading 10th home run, a grand slam. TV Osaka 'Nama Tora Stadium' https://www.tv-osaka.co.jp/ip4/tigers/ On Tuesday, May 12th, in the game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Meiji Jingu Stadium, the Hanshin Tigers' offense exploded at the enemy territory of Jingu Stadium, leading to a massive 10-0 victory over the Swallows and a return to first place. The opening was shocking. In the top of the 1st inning, Hanshin's leadoff hitter, Nozomu Takatera, hit a solo home run to left-center field to take the lead. Furthermore, a batted ball from Teruaki Sato directly hit the Yakult starter, Koji Yoshimura, causing an accident where Yoshimura had to leave the game urgently. Yusuke Oyama hit a timely double off the second pitcher, Reiji Ozawa, who came in suddenly, giving Hanshin a two-run lead in the first inning. The Swallows also created a chance with runners on first and third in the bottom of the 1st, but Hanshin's starter, Yuki Nishi, shut down the following batters for no runs. In the bottom of the 2nd, he retired the side in order, including a double play, and the game entered a stalemate until the middle innings. Nishi fulfilled his role as a starter with 6 scoreless innings, allowing only 2 hits, before leaving the mound. In the late innings, Hanshin caught the Yakult pitching staff and pulled away. In the 7th, Rinshiro Shimamura hit a 2-run home run to the left-field stands for his first professional homer. In the 8th, Yusuke Oyama hit his 5th solo home run. And in the 9th, Shota Morishita sealed the game with a spectacular 10th home run, a grand slam to the back screen, overwhelming the opponent. On the other hand, the Yakult lineup was silenced with only 5 hits and no runs, resulting in a complete game victory for Hanshin, whose pitching and hitting were in sync. ©TV Osaka Comments from 'Nama Tora Stadium' Staff ☆Play-by-play announcer… Kiyoshi Fukutani (TV Osaka Announcer) I was excited by the four impressive home runs—Takatera's leadoff homer, Shimamura's first professional homer, Oyama's massive arch upon returning to the starting lineup, and Morishita's grand slam. However, what thrilled me the most was the pitching artistry woven by the battery of same-aged pitcher Nishi and catcher Fushimi. Fushimi's lead in the early innings pulled along pitcher Nishi, who was probably not in his best form. Nishi's pitching, which shifted gears from the middle innings to baffle the opposing lineup and seize the momentum. Announcer Masayuki Kakefu explained their pitch-by-pitch communication with a sharp perspective, making it very easy to understand, and I learned a lot in the broadcast booth. Regarding pitcher Nishi, I had interviewed him beforehand about his feelings returning to the mound after overcoming a right knee injury, so I ended up doing a play-by-play full of emotion. Witnessing a veteran pitcher's dynamic performance on the mound, I, who was calling a Hanshin game for the first time in two years, felt an uplifting spirit welling up in my chest. ☆Program Producer… Keiji Naoki (TV Osaka) A one-sided game tends to struggle with viewership ratings. However, I'm glad that the viewers seemed to enjoy it until the end. Thank you very much. The entire staff will continue to believe in a consecutive championship and strive to deliver even more interesting broadcasts from before the game until the very end of the broadcast time. The next TV Osaka 'Nama Tora Stadium' is on Tuesday, June 9th 【Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks × Hanshin Tigers】＠Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka Part 1: 17:25-19:00 Part 2: 19:00-20:54