Overview

• Hanshin beat Hiroshima 2–0 at Koshien on Sept. 7 to secure the 2025 Central League title, the earliest clinch in the two‑league era, marking the club’s seventh league crown and 11th including the one‑league era.
• First‑year manager Kyuji Fujikawa guided a wire‑to‑wire run from May 17, with Hanshin 17 games clear of second place at clinch; the club enters the Climax Series Final Stage starting Oct. 15.
• Reliever Daichi Ishii extended a professional record for consecutive scoreless appearances, underscoring the bullpen strength that Fujikawa has called the team’s heartbeat.
• At Tokyo Dome, Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki edged Nippon Life 2–1 behind 37‑year‑old reinforcement Kosei Toda’s six scoreless innings, while Oji topped Yamaha 6–2 with an eighth‑inning surge capped by a three‑run pinch‑hit homer.
• The Intercity Tournament title game on Sept. 8 pits Okazaki (seeking a first championship) against Oji of Kasugai (seeking a second, first since 2004), delivering an all‑Aichi final.