It is a shocking situation. The No. 1 ranking team lost to the No. 3 ranking team and is in danger of being eliminated. In Japan, such a situation is called “above the 剋.”
At Game 3 of the second stage of the Central League Climax Series held at Tokyo Dome on Sunday, the Yomiuri Giants, the winner of the regular season, lost to the DeNA BayStars, which ranked third, 1-2. The team thus tied the series with one win and three losses overall.
The BayStars barely surpassed the .507 winning percentage in the pennant race. They entered the postseason as chin-ups, lagging eight games behind the No. 1 Yomiuri Giants.
However, with the onset of the fall baseball season, the team has transformed into a powerful one. It has achieved five consecutive wins starting from the CS 1st round. It has secured two games with the runner-up Hanshin Tigers, and is also enjoying three consecutive wins against the Yomiuri Giants.
With just one more win, the team will compete for the title in the Japanese Series. The opponent team is the Softbank Hawks, who defeated the Nippon-Ham Fighters (four wins and no loss).
On the other hand, the Yomiuri Giants, who had been delighted to win their first league title in four years, is at a crossroads in the postseason. Except for one victory in advantage given to the No. 1 team, there is no win on its own.
Most importantly, the slump in batting is the decisive factor. He only scored two points in three games through Game 1 through Game 3. Kazuma Okamoto scored the first run in the second inning on the day, but his batters were tied up and allowed him to turn the tables.
Coach Shinnosuke Abe (44), who is in his first year in office, did not hide his discomfort after the defeat. “We had a close match, but…. Anyway, we will see how determined the players are.” He ended the interview unilaterally in just 15 seconds.
There was a comment that made headlines. It was a remark by Tyler Austin (33), a foreign hitter of DeNA. He hit a tying solo shot in the fourth inning. He hit a homerun for two consecutive games. This attracted reporters. Questions such as “What did you hit the ball?” and “How did you feel?” continued.
In the meantime, someone asks, ‘I don’t see your wife today….’
They are similar everywhere. Most of the players’ families are cheering for them somewhere in the stands. Especially, foreign players’ wives are like that. She must feel that she needs to give a round of applause for her husband who is living abroad.
Stephanie Dana, Austin’s wife, is no different. She was watching her husband from behind the backstop on the previous day. When the homerun was released, TV footage showed her cheering enthusiastically. However, she was not seen on the day. 메이저사이트
Tyler Austin’s response makes everyone laugh. “My wife had a hair salon appointment today. She seems to think you’re important.” What a cool husband. He adds a few more words. “She said she watched the highlight video (of the home run).”
Tyler Austin also left a distinct mark with home runs in the Major League Baseball. He made his debut with the Yankees. It was his first day on the call-up. To be exact, it was Aug. 14, 2016. He went out as the seventh batter and first baseman. But he surprised people at his first at-bat. He hit a home run.
But something even more strange happens. He’s not alone. The next batter was a rookie, too. It’s 26-year-old Aaron Judge. He hit a home run the same way. The two hitters at his first at-bat since his debut recorded back-to-back. Of course, it’s MLB’s only record.
Austin then moved to Minnesota, San Francisco and Milwaukee. Then, he became a resident of Yokohama from 2020. It has been five years already. He has become a foreigner for a long time thanks to his strong slugging capability. His annual salary is reportedly 436 million yen (about 4 billion won). This is the last year of his three-year contract.
His wife met him in high school (Conyers Heritage, Georgia). He was not an alumnus, but a manager of a rival school. They married in 2018 after a long period of dating.
She is also loved by Yokohama fans. She is as stylish as any Hollywood star. She is still working as a model.
