2008 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters season

The 2008 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters season was the 63rd season of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters franchise. The Fighters played the majority of their home games at Sapporo Dome in the city of Sapporo, as well as at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo as members of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League. The team was led by Masataka Nashida on his first season as team manager.

Nippon-Ham finished the season in third place with a record of , qualifying them for the Climax Series. In the 2008 Pacific League Climax Series, the Fighters defeated the Orix Buffaloes in the First Stage, but were eliminated by the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Second Stage.

Regular season

Standings

Interleague

Record vs. opponents + 2008 record vs. opponentsTeamCentral League opponentsPacific League opponentsBayStarsCarpDragonsGiantsSwallowsTigersBuffaloesEaglesFightersHawksLionsMarines BayStars — 11–13 7–17 5–18–1 9–15 10–13–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 0–4 2–2 2–2 Carp 13–11 — 9–13–2 12–10–2 12–11–1 10–14 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 Dragons 17–7 13–9–2 — 14–10 9–13–2 6–17–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 3–1 Giants 18–5–1 10–12–2 10–14 — 18–6 14–10 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 Swallows 15–9 11–12–1 13–9–2 6–18 — 10–13–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 Tigers 13–10–1 14–10 17–6–1 10–14 13–10–1 — 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 Buffaloes 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 — 13–10–1 13–11 14–10 10–14 14–10 Eagles 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 10–13–1 — 13–10–1 12–12 10–14 7–16–1 Fighters 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 11–13 10–13–1 — 17–7 9–14–1 12–12 Hawks 4–0 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 10–14 12–12 7–17 — 10–11–3 10–14 Lions 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 14–10 14–10 14–9–1 11–10–3 — 13–11 Marines 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 3–1 3–1 10–14 16–7–1 12–12 14–10 11–13 —

Opening Day roster Thursday, March 20, 2008, vs. Chiba Lotte Marines Order Player Pos. 1 Hichori Morimoto CF 2 Kensuke Tanaka 2B 3 Atsunori Inaba RF 4 Terrmel Sledge 1B 5 Eiichi Koyano 3B 6 Yoshio Itoi LF 7 Tomochika Tsuboi DH 8 Shinya Tsuruoka C 9 Makoto Kaneko SS — Yu Darvish P

Game log

|-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 1 || March 20 || Marines || 1–0 || Darvish (1–0) || Kobayashi (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 42,126 || 1–0–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2 || March 22 || Marines || 2–3 || Naruse (1–0) || Sakamoto (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 31,028 || 1–1–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 3 || March 23 || Marines || 1–4 || Watanabe (1–0) || Glynn (0–1) || Takagi (1) || Sapporo Dome || 32,215 || 1–2–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 4 || March 25 || Lions || 9–1 || Takeda (1–0) || Nishiguchi (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 16,410 || 2–2–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 5 || March 26 || Lions || 0–8 || Kishi (1–0) || Yoshikawa (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 19,206 || 2–3–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 6 || March 27 || Lions || 1–0 (10) || Takeda (1–0) || Wakui (0–2) || — || Sapporo Dome || 25,011 || 3–3–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 7 || March 29 || @ Eagles || 2–7 || Tanaka (1–0) || Hoshino (0–1) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 20,189 || 3–4–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 8 || March 30 || @ Eagles || 1–3 || Asai (1–1) || Glynn (0–2) || Aoyama (1) || Kleenex Stadium || 19,518 || 3–5–0 || L2

|-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 9 || April 1 || @ Hawks || 6–0 || Takeda (2–0) || Arakaki (0–1) || — || Yahoo Dome || 29,204 || 4–5–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |10 || April 2 || @ Hawks || 0–9 || Otonari (2–0) || Yoshikawa (0–2) || — || Kitakyushu Stadium || 17,721 || 4–6–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |11 || April 3 || @ Hawks || 6–2 || Darvish (2–0) || Guttormson (0–1) || — || Yahoo Dome || 32,144 || 5–6–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |12 || April 4 || @ Buffaloes || 3–2 || Sweeney (1–0) || Kamoshida (0–1) || Nakamura (1) || Kyocera Dome || 11,738 || 6–6–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |13 || April 5 || @ Buffaloes || 2–7 || Kondo (2–0) || Fujii (0–1) || — || Kyocera Dome || 18,129 || 6–7–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |14 || April 6 || @ Buffaloes || 3–2 || Glynn (1–2) || Kawagoe (1–1) || Nakamura (2) || Skymark Stadium || 14,111 || 7–7–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |15 || April 8 || Eagles || 8–7 || Takeda (3–0) || Lin (0–2) || Nakamura (3) || Sapporo Dome || 20,257 || 8–7–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |16 || April 9 || Eagles || 4–2 || Yoshikawa (1–2) || Nagai (2–1) || Nakamura (4) || Sapporo Dome || 19,044 || 9–7–0 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |17 || April 10 || Eagles || 1–0 || Darvish (3–0) || Iwakuma (2–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 25,197 || 10–7–0 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |18 || April 11 || @ Marines || 3–2 || Sweeney (2–0) || Kobayashi (1–2) || Nakamura (5) || Chiba Marine Stadium || 15,161 || 11–7–0 || W5 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |19 || April 12 || @ Marines || 1–2 || Naruse (2–1) || Miyanishi (0–1) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 27,513 || 11–8–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |20 || April 13 || @ Marines || 1–2 (10) || Watanabe (2–1) || Takeda (1–1) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 16,282 || 11–9–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffeeaa" |21 || April 15 || @ Lions || 3–3 (12) || colspan=3|Game tied after 12 innings || Seibu Dome || 8,397 || 11–9–1 || T1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |22 || April 16 || @ Lions || 2–4 || Wakui (2–2) || Yoshikawa (1–3) || — || Seibu Dome || 11,263 || 11–10–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |23 || April 18 || Hawks || 3–1 || Darvish (4–0) || Sugiuchi (1–2) || — || Sapporo Dome || 18,107 || 12–10–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |24 || April 19 || Hawks || 4–2 || Fujii (1–1) || Oba (2–2) || Nakamura (6) || Sapporo Dome || 27,041 || 13–10–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |25 || April 20 || Hawks || 2–4 || Wada (1–0) || Glynn (1–3) || Houlton (2) || Sapporo Dome || 30,536 || 13–11–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |26 || April 22 || Buffaloes || 4–2 || Hoshino (1–1) || Takagi (1–2) || Nakamura (7) || Sapporo Dome || 14,253 || 14–11–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |27 || April 23 || Buffaloes || 0–5 || Yamamoto (2–0) || Sweeney (2–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 14,358 || 14–12–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |28 || April 24 || Buffaloes || 3–2 (10) || Takeda (2–1) || Kato (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 15,644 || 15–12–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |29 || April 25 || @ Eagles || 1–6 || Iwakuma (4–1) || Yoshikawa (1–4) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 13,213 || 15–13–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |30 || April 26 || @ Eagles || 0–4 || Guzmán (1–2) || Fujii (1–2) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 16,826 || 15–14–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" |31 || April 27 || @ Eagles || 0–5 || Tanaka (3–1) || Glynn (1–4) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 20,634 || 15–15–1 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |32 || April 29 || @ Marines || 3–2 || Nakamura (1–0) || Sikorski (1–4) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 30,021 || 16–15–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" |33 || April 30 || @ Marines || 6–3 || Darvish (5–0) || Watanabe (3–2) || Nakamura (8) || Chiba Marine Stadium || 17,516 || 17–15–1 || W2

|-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 34 || May 1 || @ Marines || 6–1 || Yoshikawa (2–4) || Ono (2–1) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 17,143 || 18–15–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 35 || May 2 || Eagles || 5–1 || Tadano (1–0) || Iwakuma (4–2) || Nakamura (9) || Sapporo Dome || 41,124 || 19–15–1 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 36 || May 3 || Eagles || 12–5 || Sakamoto (1–1) || Kawagishi (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 40,083 || 20–15–1 || W5 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 37 || May 4 || Eagles || 1–7 || Tanaka (4–1) || Glynn (1–5) || — || Sapporo Dome || 42,126 || 20–16–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 38 || May 5 || @ Lions || 6–8 || Onodera (2–2) || Takeda (2–2) || Graman (8) || Seibu Dome || 34,783 || 20–17–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 39 || May 6 || @ Lions || 1–3 || Ishii (5–1) || Miyanishi (0–2) || — || Seibu Dome || 27,340 || 20–18–1 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 40 || May 7 || @ Lions || 3–4 || Hoshino (2–0) || Darvish (5–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 15,574 || 20–19–1 || L4 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 41 || May 10 || Hawks || 0–1 || Sugiuchi (3–3) || Fujii (1–3) || — || Ocean Stadium || 16,822 || 20–20–1 || L5 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 42 || May 11 || Hawks || 4–3 || Miyanishi (1–2) || Kume (3–1) || Nakamura (10) || Ocean Stadium || 17,919 || 21–20–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 43 || May 13 || Marines || 2–8 || Karakawa (3–0) || Glynn (1–6) || — || Tokyo Dome || 19,828 || 21–21–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 44 || May 14 || Marines || 4–3 (11) || Nakamura (2–0) || Ogino (1–3) || — || Tokyo Dome || 22,265 || 22–21–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 45 || May 15 || Marines || 6–5 || Tateyama (1–0) || Abreu (1–1) || — || Tokyo Dome || 17,368 || 23–21–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 46 || May 16 || @ Hawks || 10–3 || Tadano (2–0) || Otonari (3–5) || — || Yahoo Dome || 30,948 || 24–21–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 47 || May 17 || @ Hawks || 2–3 || Sugiuchi (4–3) || Tateyama (1–1) || — || Yahoo Dome || 30,218 || 24–22–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 48 || May 18 || @ Hawks || 4–3 || Sweeney (3–1) || Oba (3–4) || Takeda (1) || Yahoo Dome || 32,494 || 25–22–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 49 || May 20 || BayStars || 6–3 || Glynn (2–6) || Nasuno (2–6) || Takeda (2) || Sapporo Dome || 16,957 || 26–22–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 50 || May 21 || BayStars || 4–3 || Hoshino (2–1) || Miura (2–5) || Takeda (3) || Sapporo Dome || 20,271 || 27–22–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 51 || May 23 || Dragons || 1–0 || Sakamoto (2–1) || Kawakami (2–3) || Takeda (4) || Sapporo Dome || 23,966 || 28–22–1 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 52 || May 24 || Dragons || 11–1 || Sweeney (4–1) || Kawai (1–2) || — || Sapporo Dome || 30,983 || 29–22–1 || W5 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 53 || May 25 || @ Giants || 4–6 || Nishimura (6–2) || Fujii (1–4) || Kroon (15) || Tokyo Dome || 43,813 || 29–23–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 54 || May 26 || @ Giants || 3–4 || Burnside (1–0) || Glynn (2–7) || Kroon (16) || Tokyo Dome || 39,278 || 29–24–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 55 || May 28 || @ Swallows || 7–3 || Darvish (6–1) || Muranaka (3–6) || — || Meiji Jingu Stadium || 18,050 || 30–24–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 56 || May 29 || @ Swallows || 3–2 || Miyanishi (2–2) || Oshimoto (2–1) || Takeda (5) || Meiji Jingu Stadium || 9,683 || 31–24–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 57 || May 31 || Tigers || 2–1 || Sweeney (5–1) || Iwata (5–2) || Takeda (6) || Sapporo Dome || 42,126 || 32–24–1 || W3

|-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 58 || June 1 || Tigers || 4–5 (10) || Kubota (3–1) || Takeda (2–3) || Fujikawa (18) || Sapporo Dome || 42,126 || 32–25–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 59 || June 3 || Carp || 4–2 || Glynn (3–7) || Otake (2–7) || — || Sapporo Dome || 17,815 || 33–25–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 60 || June 4 || Carp || 2–3 || Lewis (8–4) || Darvish (6–2) || Nagakawa (8) || Sapporo Dome || 23,870 || 33–26–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 61 || June 6 || @ Dragons || 7–3 || Sakamoto (3–1) || Sato (0–1) || — || Nagoya Dome || 36,725 || 34–26–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 62 || June 7 || @ Dragons || 1–4 || Kawakami (4–3) || Sweeney (5–2) || Iwase (18) || Nagoya Dome || 38,247 || 34–27–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 63 || June 8 || @ BayStars || 9–3 || Fujii (2–4) || Nasuno (4–7) || — || Yokohama Stadium || 17,842 || 35–27–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 64 || June 9 || @ BayStars || 3–13 || Oyamada (2–3) || Glynn (3–8) || — || Yokohama Stadium || 9,796 || 35–28–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb"