A shocking collapse in Japanese baseball! From 7-0 to 7-8, a stunning comeback loss turns the nation upside down with cries of "Manager, step down!" Even the losing manager refused to hold a press conference, saying he had nothing to say.

*This content was translated by AI.

A truly historic "disaster" has unfolded in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The Chunichi Dragons, who held an overwhelming 7-run lead, suffered a shocking comeback loss due to a bullpen collapse and are now facing intense criticism. Outraged fans have demanded the immediate resignation of Chunichi manager Kazuki Inoue (55), while the losing manager himself left the stadium without even holding a press conference.

On the 20th, Chunichi was leading 7-0 against the Hanshin Tigers in an away game held at Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, through the top of the 7th inning. However, they allowed a fierce comeback in the later innings and ultimately suffered a 7-8 walk-off loss.

With this defeat, Chunichi fell into a three-game losing streak, recording 14 wins and 28 losses (winning percentage 0.333), with a win-loss margin of -14. According to Japanese media Lonspo, this is the first time since July 26, 2017, in a game against Yakult (where they lost after leading 10-0) that Chunichi failed to hold a lead of 7 runs or more and suffered a comeback loss — a span of nearly nine years.

In fact, through the top of the 7th inning, Chunichi was in a perfect position for victory. Starting pitcher Kyle Mueller (registered name in Japan: Maru) had pitched brilliantly, holding the Hanshin lineup to just two hits scoreless through six innings. In the batting lineup, he even hit his first two-run home run on Japanese soil, putting on a one-man show in both pitching and hitting. Neither the Chunichi bench nor the fans doubted an easy win.

However, the nightmare began when Mueller, who had been on pace for a complete game with 73 pitches, entered the game in the bottom of the 7th. He gave up a walk to the leadoff batter, Sato. With two outs and bases loaded, he allowed a two-run RBI hit to Sakamoto. Manager Inoue quickly brought in relief pitchers.

All of Chunichi's bullpen moves backfired. Relief pitcher Kento Fujishima, who entered the game, allowed an RBI hit to pinch hitter Shimamura. Manager Inoue then brought in left-hander Tsunaki Saito, but he too surrendered an additional RBI hit after facing just one batter, narrowing the score to 7-4. Ultimately, Chunichi allowed three more runs in the 8th inning, tying the game at 7-7.

They were eventually overtaken. In the bottom of the 9th, rookie left-hander Seiya Makino, the sixth pitcher of the game, faced leadoff batter Morishita. Unable to withstand the pressure, Makino threw a flat fastball right down the middle on a 3-1 count in an attempt to get a strike. "Japan National Team" player Morishita crushed it, sending it over the left-field fence for a walk-off solo home run. The moment the 7-0 score was flipped to 7-8, the "Koshien disaster" was complete.

After the game, according to multiple Japanese media outlets including Chunichi Sports and Lonspo, a deeply shaken Manager Inoue left only a brief statement: "I have nothing to say today. I am sorry." He then completely refused to hold a post-game press conference for the first time in his two-year tenure and left the stadium.

In this unprecedented refusal, fans' patience also exploded. On Japanese social media (X, etc.) and baseball communities, intense anger from Chunichi fans is pouring out. Fans are strongly condemning the situation, saying, "Is this what a professional team should do?" and "Manager Inoue should either resign immediately or be placed on leave (effectively fired)."

With the unprecedented bench collapse and demands from fans for the manager's dismissal following the historic comeback loss after a nine-year drought, all eyes in the Japanese baseball world are now focused on how Chunichi will handle this situation.

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*This content was translated by AI.