Hiroshima Carp vs Chunichi Dragons

Two moments decided the game, each favouring a different side before the final swing.

In the bottom of the seventh with two outs and runners on first and second, Hiroshima's Naru Katsuda lined a single to left. Runner Fabian charged around second and headed home. The initial call at the plate was safe, but Chunichi manager Kazuki Inoue successfully challenged — replay review overturned the call, ruling Fabian out. The would-be go-ahead run was erased, and the game stayed 1–1.

The ninth inning brought a far less subtle verdict. With one out, Hiroshima loaded the bases via a walk to Fabian (followed by pinch-runner Konosuke Tatsumi), a strikeout of Shogo Sakakura, and an intentional walk to Montero. With two outs and runners at second and third, Chunichi reliever Abreu uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Tatsumi to scamper home from third. The Carp won 2–1 without needing a hit in the inning.

The intentional walk to Montero — putting the go-ahead run 90 feet from home — drew scrutiny afterwards. "The runner on first being intentionally walked to second base in a tie game in the ninth is an unusual choice," noted the Hochi Shimbun, linking the decision directly to the wild-pitch ending.

• Ryoji Kuribayashi (Hiroshima) – 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 6 K. The Carp ace did not factor in the decision but kept his team in the game and was the primary reason Hiroshima could win without a late hit. According to Hochi, it was his first win opportunity since 18 July.
• Yume Kanemaru (Chunichi) – 7 IP, 1 ER, solid outing wasted. The 23-year-old left-hander has not recorded a win since 19 June against the Yomiuri Giants, a stretch of more than two months.
• E. Montero (Hiroshima) – Game-tying solo HR in the 5th. The import outfielder now has 11 homers and an above-.300 average against left-handed pitching.
• Takaya Ishikawa (Chunichi) – Solo HR in the 2nd on his return to the starting nine.

The 2–1 final reflected a genuine pitchers' duel rather than offensive ineptitude. Hiroshima's lone earned run came on a home run; Chunichi's on another. The attendance of 22,958 at Mazda Stadium saw just 15 combined hits across nine innings, with both starters working deep into the game.

For the Carp, the win was their sixth sayonara (walk-off) victory of the season and only their second winning streak longer than two games all year.

Hiroshima leapfrogged Chunichi into fifth place in the Central League with the victory, though the Carp still sit 15 games behind leaders Hanshin Tigers. Chunichi, dropping their fourth straight, remain rooted at the bottom. The two sides continue their three-game series at Mazda Stadium on Friday.

Chunichi's Kanemaru has now gone nine starts without a win since 19 June. Kuribayashi, despite his quality start, has just five wins on the season with limited run support.

A classic NPB low-scoring affair decided by a single bad pitch. Hiroshima's resilience in finally securing a third consecutive win — after 12 previous stalled attempts — suggests a morale boost for a club that has otherwise endured a difficult 2026 campaign. For Chunichi, the inability to capitalise on Kanemaru's quality outing and Ishikawa's early home run will sting, particularly after the overturned-call drama in the seventh.