Rick van den Hurk took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and Wladimir Balentien homered twice to lead the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to a 4-2 win over the defending Pacific League champion Saitama Seibu Lions on Thursday. Balentien, who joined the Hawks this season after ...
Hawks display tremendous depth, talent en route to Japan Series three-peat
The only thing left to do is marvel at the absolute playoff strength of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Simply calling them strong somehow feels inadequate. But the Hawks have rendered the extraordinary so mind-numbingly routine during the last several postseasons, purposeful simplicity is probably the ...
Hawks hammer Giants in Game 3, move within win of third consecutive Japan Series crown
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks should be able to taste it now. They've dominated this Japan Series through three games and now the big payoff is just around the corner. Alfredo Despaigne drove in three runs, Yurisbel Gracial homered and Rick van den Hurk did his ...
MVP Takuya’s ‘Kai Cannon’ key to Hawks’ Japan Series conquest
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks must've known something was off. Hiroshima Carp shortstop Kosuke Tanaka, who had led off Game 6 of the Japan Series with a single, had taken off as Hawks starter Rick van den Hurk pitched to Ryosuke Kikuchi and was ruled to ...
Hawks rule the roost with dominating NPB title run
In the moments after the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks clinched their second consecutive Japan Series title on Saturday, club chairman Sadaharu Oh was asked for his thoughts about this year's team. Oh's words hold more weight than most in Japanese baseball. He's a living legend, owner ...
Hawks shut out Carp in Game 6, capture back-to-back Japan Series crowns
The Heisei Era in Japan is set to end when Emperor Akihito abdicates next year on April 30. Pinning down the end of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' current era of dominance in Japanese baseball is going to take a little bit more time. Because as they ...
Hawks' Kodai Senga awaits chance to battle Carp, but fearful of rare hitting assignment
Kodai Senga was very matter-of-fact when asked about stepping into the batter's box during Game 1 of the Japan Series. "I'm scared," the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks pitcher said simply. Senga pitches in the Pacific League, where the DH is used, and only has 10 at-bats during ...
Rick van den Hurk continues winning ways for Hawks
Rick van den Hurk just knows how to win under the bright lights. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' Dutch right-hander proved it again on Wednesday night at MetLife Dome, when he helped lead the Hawks to a 10-4 victory over the Pacific League champion Seibu Lions ...
Takahiro Norimoto won a scintillating pitchers' duel with Rick van den Hurk, before the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles added on a few more runs against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' bullpen during a 4-1 win on Wednesday. Norimoto (10-2) allowed one run over eight ...
Naoyuki Uwasawa allowed five hits over seven innings as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters knocked off the Pacific League-leading Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2-0 on Sunday. Uwasawa (2-2) came up with some big pitches and the Fighters came up with three run-saving plays as three pitchers ...
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks took a step toward their seventh interleague title on Friday, overcoming Yoshihiro Maru's three home runs to beat the Hiroshima Carp 5-3. Rick van den Hurk (7-3) allowed eight hits and a walk over seven innings, while striking out nine to ...
Teams makes preparations for second round
Tokyo Dome was mostly silent, with only the sounds of practice ricocheting off thousands of empty seats at the Big Egg, as the 2017 World Baseball Classic took a day off to prepare for the final push to the championship round. Japan and Cuba, who ...
