Nobuhiro Matsuda bounced on one leg across the batter's box after missing a pitch, something he's become known for doing, during the fourth inning. He made a name for himself as a home run hitter this season, and unfortunately for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, that's something else he did in the fourth inning.
Matsuda jump-started the Hawks with a solo home run, starter Shota Takeda went the distance and the Hawks won Game 1 of the Japan Series 4-2 on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 35,732 at Yafuoku Dome.
"Takeda pitched well for us and was consistent, and our batters came through with a lot of hits," Softbank manager Kimiyasu Kudo said. "It was truly a team victory."