Nagoya, Japan — The Yakult Swallows fell to the Chunichi Dragons, dropping their record to a season-low 50-70-4. The loss puts them 3.5 games behind Chunichi for fifth place.
Starting pitcher Yasuhiro “Yahure” Ogawa struggled, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings and taking his 10th loss of the season – tied for the most in the league. The Swallows’ only run came on a solo home run by Munetaka Murakami, his first in 12 games.
Chunichi’s starter, Hiroshi Takahashi, continued his dominance against Yakult, improving to 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA in four starts this season.
Key Moments:
- 1st Inning: Yakult threatened early with runners on second and third, but a strikeout ended the inning.
- 3rd Inning: Chunichi took a 3-0 lead on a 3-run double by Yohei Kawagoe.
- 4th Inning: Murakami’s solo home run cut the lead to 3-1.
- 7th-9th Innings: Yakult’s offense went quiet, failing to score any more runs.
Overall:
It was a frustrating loss for Yakult, who struggled to generate offense against Takahashi. Yahure’s struggles on the mound also contributed to the defeat. The Swallows will need to turn things around quickly if they want to make a push for fifth place.
Swallows' Nest 