(阪神タイガース) The story behind this trend in Social Media today
03-10-2026
The Hanshin Tigers clinched the 2026 Central League pennant on October 3, which is why the team name is surging on social media.They entered the day with a magic number of 1 and a chance at the franchise’s first consecutive league title under the two-league system. In the afternoon they lost 4–6 to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Mazda Stadium. That night the second-place Yomiuri Giants also lost, to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The Giants’ defeat eliminated them and made the Tigers champions regardless of their own result.It is the club’s 12th pennant overall and its first back-to-back title since the one-league era of 1937–38an 88-year gap, and the first Central League repeat in team history. Last season they had clinched unusually early, on September 7; this year they held off a late Giants surge after a mid-September skid that included a seven-game losing streak. Manager Kyuji Fujikawa, in his second year, thus became one of the few NPB managers to win the pennant in each of his first two seasons.The lineup that carried them included Teruaki Sato, who was leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs and pressing for a triple crown, with Shota Morishita and Yusuke Oyama also driving the middle of the order. The rotation was anchored by pitchers such as Haruto Takahashi, who had piled up wins after returning from injury, along with Shoki Murakami and Hiroto Saiki. Fans online marked the clinch with championship hashtags and the usual talk of Dotonbori celebrations in Osaka, the traditional spot where supporters jump into the canal after big Hanshin titles.