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DeNA announced their starting pitchers for the Climax Series First Stage: Katsuki Azuma for Game 1 and Yu Ishida for Game 2. The Giants fielded a youth-heavy lineup in a practice game against Saginomiya Seisakusho, while the Lotte Marines told three players, including Riku Kikuchi, they won’t be retained. It was also reported that Samurai Japan’s roster included zero players from the Hanshin Tigers, despite their back-to-back Central League pennant. On the forum, opinion split between those arguing ‘whoever scores first in Game 1 decides everything’ in this short series, and those pushing back with examples of teams blowing a lead late in the season finale.
What people said
Acting Giants Manager Thread 166
Departures
Released: #37 Kori, #38 Okada, #64 Yamada
Free agent: #12 Hagio
Current-draft picks:
Trades:
Retirements:
Demoted to developmental:
Arrivals
Draft main picks:
Current-draft picks:
Trades:
Other:
Promoted to active roster:
2026 active roster: 70
2027 active roster: 66
Open numbers
7 12 18 37 38 55 64 83
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3e5d0e9137de2c32141cfd216fc69b541e027f67
Here's the Giants' starting lineup:
[Giants]
1 (2B) Yoshikawa
2 (SS) Izumiguchi
3 (LF) Maru
4 (C) Oshima
5 (3B) Richard
6 (RF) Nakayama
7 (DH) Dalbec
8 (1B) Masuda Riku
9 (CF) Sasahara
After that he can stay over there until he retires, that's fine.
But Satoteru (Teruaki Sato's nickname) has the MVP locked up
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/363e00cb6c82c88946b3c9bcc7fcd55eeaa48b24
It's been confirmed that ace Katsuki Azuma will start Game 1 of the Climax Series First Stage, with Yu Ishida taking Game 2. If it goes to a Game 3, the ball goes to Taira.
Ogata, who held down a rotation spot for part of the regular season, will work out of the bullpen in the First Stage, with a return to starting expected if the team advances to the Final Stage. Other candidates for starts include rookies Shimada and Katayama, plus Fukazawa, who'll be tuning up in the autumn 'Miyazaki Phoenix League' developmental league starting on the 7th.
First time I've heard of 'Kanaloco'
It's the web edition of the Kanagawa Shimbun
Now that you mention it, I have heard of it
Former BayStars manager Daisuke Miura said it himself:
Against any team, the odds of winning or losing are fifty-fifty
Whichever side shows the slightest opening loses
Just like in the season finale
Can't see us beating the champion Tigers…
Can't see us beating SoftBank…
That's fair
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/90eab670b4ee28af9e7380740469c7fdc6749f55
The Lotte Marines announced on the 7th that they notified pitcher Yusuke Azuma (30), pitcher Riku Kikuchi (26), and infielder Katsumi Ishigaki (28) that they will not be offered contracts for next season. All three players have said they want to continue their playing careers.
Come join our army (Giants fans' nickname for the team)!
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1eeff44140efa58e83dba10df44b794760ff1268
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2a63b79df47e1f698527907397db3e3372953895
Among the players announced, zero came from the Hanshin Tigers despite their back-to-back Central League pennant, and none were picked from the Orix Buffaloes either. Asked about it at the press conference, manager Iguchi said, 'In making our selections, we considered 70 to 80 players and decided in consultation with each team's manager. We picked what we felt were the best players, taking things like their physical condition into account.'
So does that mean the BayStars have better hitting but we have the pitching advantage?
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1fed7ecb15013003f15e5937407c662e48ebe00a
That's what gets the opponent rolling
https://the-audience-news.com/archives/26216
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4ce1f5ee2e97441d921c752fb6999d24e94ea33c
If we give up the first run, it's over
Plenty of people thought we had it won after Richard's go-ahead homer
Were you not even watching the game?
Background and Key Points of This Topic
The Climax Series (CS) First Stage is a short series between the teams that finished 2nd and 3rd in the Central and Pacific Leagues, in which the higher-seeded team starts with a one-win advantage. That’s why some on the forum argue that ‘whoever scores first in Game 1 decides the outcome,’ but in reality, short series are especially prone to reversals triggered by a single bad pitch or a bullpen slip-up, and it’s not unusual for results to diverge from the regular-season standings. As for the Samurai Japan selections, people often misunderstand that the roster isn’t based solely on in-season stats — it also depends on coordination with the host organization and each team, as well as player fatigue, which is why even a back-to-back pennant-winning team can end up with no players picked. Manager Iguchi’s explanation likewise emphasized consideration for the players over the transparency of the selection criteria, reflecting the reality that selection isn’t purely performance-based.
※This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (“Hallo Pro” board) thread “Acting Giants Manager Thread 167.”

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