Carp Rally Past Dragons to Win Second-Half Opener

The Hiroshima Toyo Carp opened the second half of the 2026 season with a come-from-behind victory over the Chunichi Dragons.

Hiroshima fell behind early and struggled to solve Dragons starter Hiroto Takahashi, who kept the Carp offense quiet through the first six innings.

Starting pitcher Hiroki Tokoda kept the game within reach despite pitching with runners on base throughout the night. After the game, manager Takahiro Arai praised his left-hander's determination.

"Tokoda kept battling in key situations. If we had allowed another run, it would have been a very difficult game. His persistence gave us a chance to win."

The turning point came in the seventh inning when the Carp tied the game after a defensive error by Chunichi.

In the eighth inning, veteran infielder Ryosuke Kikuchi delivered the decisive blow with a go-ahead solo home run. Arai believed Kikuchi was motivated after missing an earlier scoring opportunity.

"I think he wanted to make up for his previous at-bat."

Later in the inning, substitute outfielder Minoru Omori added an RBI hit to provide an important insurance run, earning praise from Arai for his timely contribution.

With the victory, Hiroshima began the second half of the season on a positive note.

"It was a good start. We just want to keep fighting, one game at a time," Arai said after the game.