# Liván Moinelo throws seven scoreless innings as SoftBank takes a 2-0 Japan Series lead

**Date:** 10/26/2026

Cuban pitcher Liván Moinelo delivered one of the best postseason starts of his career on Sunday, October 25, throwing seven scoreless innings in Game 2 of the Japan Series at Yokohama Stadium. The left-hander gave up five hits and one walk and struck out eight on 91 pitches, according to Prensa Latina and the Pacific League.

Moinelo left with a 2-0 lead that the bullpen could not hold. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo tied the game with a three-run homer in the eighth, pinch-hitter Hotaka Yamakawa answered with a solo shot in the ninth, and Yuto Kawamura won it with a home run in the tenth. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks beat the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 4-3 and lead the series 2-0. Moinelo got a no-decision.

The outing was a bounce-back. In Game 1 of the Climax Series final stage on October 14, he was knocked out in the third inning after allowing three runs. “I think I pitched in a way that helped the team win,” he told Nikkan Sports. Manager Hiroki Kokubo praised his ability to adjust, the Yomiuri reported.

Moinelo, from Pinar del Río, was the Pacific League MVP in 2025. Game 3 is set for Tuesday, October 27, at Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka.