Sports
Yomiuri Giants Suffer Crushing 11-Inning Blow as Hanshin’s Late Homers Widen the Title Gap
With a heartbreaking 0-4 loss to rival Hanshin Tigers, the Yomiuri Giants see their championship hopes fading fast, as manager Shinnozuke Abe admits “the difference in strength was clear.”
At Tokyo Dome, under the harsh glare of 27,000 disappointed fans, the legendary Yomiuri Giants faced a brutal reminder of how far they’ve drifted from championship glory. After holding off their bitter rivals, the Hanshin Tigers, through 10 tense innings, it all unraveled in the 11th. Final score: 0-4. Final blow: two crushing home runs. Final message: Yomiuri’s championship drought may be nowhere near its end.
“We must never give up,” said manager Shinnozuke Abe, but his words hung in the air like echoes of a dynasty slipping further into memory.
Despite a stellar starting performance from Io Yamazaki—7 innings, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, no runs—the Giants’ offense went silent, mustering only 4 hits over 11 innings. The bullpen fought with grit but couldn’t survive the Tigers’ 11th-inning ambush, capped by home runs from Teruaki Sato (his 25th of the season) and Seishiro Sakamoto, who launched a dagger two-run shot into the Tokyo night.
The Numbers Paint a Bleak Picture
The Yomiuri Giants, who hold a record 22 Japan Series championships, are no strangers to high expectations. But with the 2025 season slipping further out of reach, fans are growing restless.
Yomiuri now holds a record of 41 wins, 3 ties, and 43 losses with a .488 win percentage, placing them a distant second in the Central League. First-place Hanshin has 52 wins and a .605 win percentage—a 10-game gap that seems insurmountable.
“The difference in strength was clearly evident,” Abe admitted post-match. “While some may criticize the bullpen decision, I take full responsibility.”
A Manager Under Pressure, A Legacy in Limbo
The Giants haven’t won a Japan Series since 2012. Last season ended in heartbreak with a Climax Series loss to Yokohama DeNA BayStars despite having a one-game advantage. This year’s campaign looked more promising early on—but with every missed opportunity, the weight of past glories becomes heavier.
On Friday night, it was all there: tactical stalemates, pitching duels, a few offensive flashes—then a total collapse in extra innings. Relief pitcher Hiromasa Funabashi gave up all four runs in the 11th, though Abe shielded him from blame.
“It’s not Funabashi’s fault,” Abe said solemnly. “That decision was mine, and I feel sorry about this.”
Hanshin’s Cold-Blooded Execution
Meanwhile, Hanshin Tigers proved exactly why they are Central League leaders. Their bullpen shut out the Giants through five consecutive innings, with clutch appearances from Masaki Oyakawa, Daichi Ishii, Atsuki Yuasa, Nick Nelson, and Suguru Iwazaki.
Shoki Murakami, Hanshin’s starting pitcher, delivered 6 innings of dominant baseball—just 2 hits, 5 strikeouts, and no earned runs. When the moment came to finish the job, Hanshin didn’t hesitate.
Table of Contents
Sato’s blast was his 25th of the season, while Sakamoto’s homer—just his second—sealed the deal.
Fans Demand Answers as Faith Wanes
Yomiuri remains an iconic franchise in Japanese baseball. But 13 straight years without a championship would mark an unprecedented decline for a team used to setting records, not chasing shadows.
“We created chances, but couldn’t convert,” Abe said. “Some of our players still lack the skill, but that mindset—we must fight until the end—is what I want to instill.”
But will resolve be enough when the numbers, momentum, and morale all suggest otherwise?
more update http://www.dailyglobaldiary.com
Sports
Caleb Williams Impresses, but the Bears’ Late-Game Decisions Raise Eyebrows
One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next
For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.
With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.
Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.
And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:
Why not go for two?
The dream-big argument
If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.
Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.
Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.
But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.
Why Chicago didn’t gamble
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.
Because miracles don’t stack.
Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.
After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.
“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”
There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.
So Chicago chose survival over glory.
How it unraveled anyway
The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.
And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.
Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.
So… was it the wrong call?
Emotionally? Maybe.
Strategically? Probably not.
Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.
That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.
What this moment really means for Chicago
The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.
You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.
Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.
Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”
It will be remembered as the beginning.
Sports
A Strong Night for Caleb Williams Ends With Doubts About the Bears’ Late Decisions
One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next
For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.
With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.
Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.
And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:
Why not go for two?
The dream-big argument
If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.
Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.
Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.
But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.
Why Chicago didn’t gamble
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.
Because miracles don’t stack.
Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.
After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.
“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”
There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.
So Chicago chose survival over glory.
How it unraveled anyway
The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.
And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.
Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.
So… was it the wrong call?
Emotionally? Maybe.
Strategically? Probably not.
Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.
That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.
What this moment really means for Chicago
The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.
You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.
Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.
Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”
It will be remembered as the beginning.
Sports
Caleb Williams Did His Part But Did the Bears Overthink the Finish
One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next
For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.
With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.
Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.
And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:
Why not go for two?
The dream-big argument
If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.
Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.
Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.
But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.
Why Chicago didn’t gamble
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.
Because miracles don’t stack.
Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.
After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.
“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”
There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.
So Chicago chose survival over glory.
How it unraveled anyway
The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.
And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.
Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.
So… was it the wrong call?
Emotionally? Maybe.
Strategically? Probably not.
Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.
That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.
What this moment really means for Chicago
The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.
You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.
Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.
Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”
It will be remembered as the beginning.
“He-Man Wears a Suit…”: Why Nicholas Galitzine’s Masters of the Universe Trailer Has Fans Talking
Camilla Läckberg Isn’t Done Yet… The Queen of Swedish Noir Eyes Film, TV and a Bold Plan to ‘Conquer America’
“Screaming, Crying, Almost Throwing Up”… Sundance Insiders Reveal the Untold Chaos Behind America’s Most Influential Film Festival
From Swedish Noir to Hollywood Dreams Camilla Läckberg Has a Bigger Plan in Motion
When Sundance Nearly Fell Apart Insiders Recall the Chaos Behind the World’s Most Influential Film Festival
1-Iran Issues Dire Warning to Israel and Defies Trump on Nukes: “We’re Ready to Strike Deep Inside”
Donald Trump’s net worth reveals the fortune behind the former US President and business mogul
Caitlin Clark Sidelined with Quad Strain, Set to Miss Two Weeks of WNBA Action
Elon Musk Breaks Ranks with Trump Over ‘Big, Beautiful’ Tax Bill
“Tomás Rodríguez Net Worth 2025: Panama’s Gold Cup Goal‑Machine’s Surprising Fortune Revealed”
Miss Jamaica Suffers Terrifying Fall Off Miss Universe Stage; Rushed to Hospital on Stretcher in Viral Video
Moana Live-Action Teaser Sparks Outrage as Fans Call Disney’s Move a ‘Clear Money Grab’ — What Went Wrong?
Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary Trailer Stuns Fans with a Mysterious Alien Ally and a Mission That Could Save Earth
Apple delays Jessica Chastain thriller The Savant about domestic extremism after recent US violence
Avatar 3, Fire and Ash trailer reveals Jake Sully’s family facing terrifying new Na’vi enemies with deadly fire powers
-
Entertainment1 week agoHe-Man Wears a Suit Now… Nicholas Galitzine’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ Trailer Drops a Shock Fans Didn’t See Coming
-
Entertainment1 week agoBrazil Eyes Oscar History Again… ‘The Secret Agent’ Scores Best Picture Nomination as Wagner Moura Stuns Hollywood
-
Entertainment5 days ago“Comedy Needs Courage Again…”: Judd Apatow Opens Up on Mel Brooks, Talking to Rob Reiner, and Why Studio Laughs Have Vanished
-
Entertainment1 week agoOscars Go Global in a Big Way as This Year’s Nominations Signal a New Era: ‘The Academy Is Finally Looking Beyond Hollywood…’
-
Entertainment1 week ago“Dangerously Kinky… and Darkly Funny”: Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman Push Boundaries in ‘I Want Your Sex’
-
Sports1 week agoA Strong Night for Caleb Williams Ends With Doubts About the Bears’ Late Decisions
-
Crime5 days agoMan Accused in Tupac Shakur Killing Asks Judge to Exclude Critical Evidence
-
Politics1 week agoWhy Bari Weiss Says Pulling a ‘60 Minutes’ Story Was the Right Call — Even If It Looked Radical