The Hanshin Tigers put runners on every base with two outs in the fifth inning in the opening game of the Japan Series as the zeal and frenzy of their fans in the stands shot to new levels
Then the cleanup trio went to work.
Mauro Gomez, Matt Murton, and Kosuke Fukudome reeled off consecutive two-out hits and combined to drive in five runs during the inning to help the title-starved club get the Japanese Fall Classic off to a roaring start with a 6-2 win over the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in front of an amped-up crowd of 45,293 at Koshien Stadium on Saturday night.