2022 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles season

The 2022 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles season was the 18th season of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles franchise. The Eagles played their home games at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi in the city of Sendai as members of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League. The team led by Kazuhisa Ishii in his second season as team manager.

Rakuten finished the season with a record of , finishing in fourth place in the PL.

Regular season Standings + 2022 Pacific League regular season standings Team 1Orix Buffaloes14376652—37–3439–31–22Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks*14376652—40–3236–33–23Saitama Seibu Lions*143726833½41–29–231–39–14Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles143697136½30–40–139–31–25Chiba Lotte Marines143697317½34–36–135–376Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters1435981316½34–35–325–46 League champion and advanced directly to the final stage of the Climax Series Advanced to the first stage of the Climax Series

Record vs. opponents + 2022 record vs. opponentsTeamBuffaloesEaglesFightersHawksLionsMarines Buffaloes — 11–13–1 15–9–1 15–10 11–14 16–9 8–10 Eagles 13–11–1 — 16–9 10–15 9–15–1 12–12–1 9–9 Fighters 9–15–1 9–16 — 11–13–1 11–13–1 11–14 8–10 Hawks 10–15 15–10 13–11–1 — 14–10–1 15–10 9–9 Lions 14–11 15–9–1 13–11–1 10–14–1 — 11–14 9–9 Marines 9–16 12–12–1 14–11 10–15 14–11 — 10–8

Interleague + 2022 regular season interleague standings Team 1Tokyo Yakult Swallows181440.778—7–27–22Hanshin Tigers181260.66726–36–33Chiba Lotte Marines181080.55646–34–54Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks18990.50055–44–55Saitama Seibu Lions18990.50056–33–66Yokohama DeNA BayStars18990.50055–44–57Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles18990.50055–44–58Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters188100.44466–32–79Orix Buffaloes188100.44462–76–310Yomiuri Giants188100.44465–43–611Chunichi Dragons187110.38975–42–712Hiroshima Toyo Carp185130.27993–62–7 Interleague champion

Chihō ballparks The Eagles hosted three home games outside of Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi in 2022. They were played at chihō, or "countryside", ballparks in Aomori, Iwate, and Akita Prefectures in Japan's Tōhoku region

+ 2022 Rakuten Eagles chihō ballparks Ballpark City Prefecture Haruka Yume Stadium Hirosaki Aomori Prefecture Iwate Prefectural Baseball Stadium Morioka Iwate Prefecture Komachi Stadium Akita Akita Prefecture

Opening Day starting roster Friday, March 25, 2022 vs. Chiba Lotte Marines + 2022 Rakuten Eagles Opening Day starting roster Order Player Position 1 Haruki Nishikawa Left fielder 2 Tsuyoshi Yamasaki Shortstop 3 Hideto Asamura Second baseman 4 Hiroaki Shimauchi Right fielder 5 Eigoro Mogi Third baseman 6 Ren Wada Designated hitter 7 Daichi Suzuki First baseman 8 Yuma Yasuda Catcher 9 Hiroto Kobukata Center fielder — Takahiro Norimoto Starting pitcher

Game log

|-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 1 || March 25 || Marines || 0–4 || Ishikawa (1–0) || Norimoto (0–1) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 20,564 || 0–1–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || March 26 || Marines || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: August 4 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 2 || March 27 || Marines || 6–5 || Y. Matsui (1–0) || Suzuki (0–1) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 19,903 || 1–1–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 3 || March 29 || @ Buffaloes || 2–1 || M. Tanaka (1–0) || Kuroki (0–1) || Y. Matsui (1) || Kyocera Dome || 26,237 || 2–1–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 4 || March 30 || @ Buffaloes || 6–1 || Hayakawa (1–0) || Vargas (0–1) || — || Kyocera Dome || 17,835 || 3–1–0 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 5 || March 31 || @ Buffaloes || 6–1 || Nishiguchi (1–0) || Yo. Hirano (0–1) || Y. Matsui (2) || Kyocera Dome || 15,111 || 4–1–0 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 6 || April 1 || Hawks || 0–1 || Senga (1–0) || Wakui (0–1) || Mori (5) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 15,111 || 4–2–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 2 || Hawks || colspan=4|Postponed (COVID-19) – Makeup date: August 25 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 3 || Hawks || colspan=4|Postponed (COVID-19) – Makeup date: September 29 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 7 || April 5 || Lions || 7–3 || M. Tanaka (2–0) || Sato (1–1) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 16,893 || 5–2–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 8 || April 6 || Lions || 7–2 || Kishi (1–0) || Matsumoto (1–1) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 16,870 || 6–2–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 9 || April 8 || @ Fighters || 3–0 || Hayakawa (2–0) || Itoh (0–2) || Y. Matsui (3) || Sapporo Dome || 9,854 || 7–2–0 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 10 || April 9 || @ Fighters || 8–5 || Wakui (1–1) || Kawano (0–2) || — || Sapporo Dome || 13,994 || 8–2–0 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 11 || April 10 || @ Fighters || 2–3 || Kitayama (2–0) || Y. Matsui (1–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 12,141 || 8–3–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 12 || Buffaoles || colspan=4|Postponed (COVID-19) – Makeup date: September 12 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 13 || Buffaoles || colspan=4|Postponed (COVID-19) – Makeup date: September 13 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 14 || Buffaoles || colspan=4|Postponed (COVID-19) – Makeup date: October 2 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 12 || April 16 || @ Hawks || 6–5 || Anraku (1–0) || Mori (0–3) || Y. Matsui (4) || Kitakyushu Stadium || 18,709 || 9–3–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 13 || April 17 || @ Hawks || 14–4 || Takinaka (1–0) || Higashihama (1–1) || — || Heiwa Lease Stadium || 17,796 || 10–3–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 14 || April 19 || Fighters || 0–2 || Kato (2–1) || M. Tanaka (2–1) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 15,119 || 10–4–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 15 || April 20 || Fighters || 4–2 || Kishi (2–0) || Ponce (0–1) || Y. Matsui (5) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 14,453 || 11–4–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 16 || April 21 || Fighters || 8–5 || Ishibashi (1–0) || Tateno (1–2) || Y. Matsui (6) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 15,131 || 12–4–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 17 || April 22 || @ Lions || 0–3 || K. Takahashi (2–2) || Hayakawa (2–1) || Taira (1) || Belluna Dome || 10,224 || 12–5–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 18 || April 23 || @ Lions || 7–3 || Wakui (2–1) || Sumida (1–3) || — || Belluna Dome || 26,257 || 13–5–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 19 || April 24 || @ Lions || 3–6 || Hirai (2–1) || Takinaka (1–1) || — || Belluna Dome || 14,901 || 13–6–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 20 || April 26 || @ Marines || 3–2 || Anraku (2–0) || Tojo (0–1) || Y. Matsui (7) || Zozo Marine Stadium || 15,524 || 14–6–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffeeaa" | 21 || April 27 || @ Marines || 3–3 || colspan=3|Game tied after 12 innings || Zozo Marine Stadium || 13,258 || 14–6–1 || T1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 22 || April 28 || @ Marines || 2–1 || Fujii (1–0) || Mima (0–3) || Anraku (1) || Zozo Marine Stadium || 17,531 || 15–6–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 29 || Hawks || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: September 30 || Rakuten Seimei Park || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 23 || April 30 || Hawks || 7–6 || Anraku (3–0) || Tsumori (1–1) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 25,602 || 16–6–1 || W2

|-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 24 || May 1 || Hawks || 2–1 || Norimoto (1–1) || Ohzeki (2–2) || Yuge (1) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 24,250 || 17–6–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 25 || May 3 || @ Fighters || 2–1 || M. Tanaka (3–1) || Kato (2–2) || Y. Matsui (8) || Sapporo Dome || 20,087 || 18–6–1 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 26 || May 4 || @ Fighters || 5–1 || Wakui (3–1) || Kaneko (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 20,184 || 19–6–1 || W5 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 27 || May 5 || @ Fighters || 8–4 || Kishi (3–0) || Itoh (3–3) || — || Sapporo Dome || 16,420 || 20–6–1 || W6 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 28 || May 6 || @ Buffaloes || 3–2 || Busenitz (1–0) || Yo. Hirano (2–2) || Y. Matsui (9) || Kyocera Dome || 16,430 || 21–6–1 || W7 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 29 || May 7 || @ Buffaloes || 7–1 || Hayakawa (3–1) || Yamasaki (0–4) || — || Kyocera Dome || 18,340 || 22–6–1 || W8 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 30 || May 8 || @ Buffaloes || 2–1 || Sung (1–0) || Kuroki (0–2) || Y. Matsui (10) || Kyocera Dome || 16,296 || 23–6–1 || W9 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 31 || May 10 || Marines || 7–0 || M. Tanaka (4–1) || Ojima (0–4) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 22,005 || 24–6–1 || W10 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 32 || May 11 || Marines || 1–3 || Kawamura (2–0) || Fujii (1–1) || Masuda (5) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 23,110 || 24–7–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 33 || May 12 || Marines || 2–5 || Mima (1–4) || Kishi (3–1) || Masuda (6) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 20,089 || 24–8–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 34 || May 13 || @ Lions || 2–4 || K. Takahashi (4–2) || Takinaka (1–2) || Masuda (8) || Belluna Dome || 10,121 || 24–9–1 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 35 || May 14 || @ Lions || 4–5 || Moriwaki (1–0) || Anraku (3–1) || Masuda (9) || Belluna Dome || 12,091 || 24–10–1 || L4 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 36 || May 15 || @ Lions || 3–1 || Norimoto (2–1) || Enns (2–2) || Y. Matsui (11) || Belluna Dome || 21,224 || 25–10–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 37 || May 17 || @ Marines || 3–6 || C. Sasaki (1–0) || M. Tanaka (4–2) || Masuda (7) || Zozo Marine Stadium || 21,001 || 25–11–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 38 || May 18 || @ Marines || 0–1 || Tojo (1–1) || Sakai (0–1) || — || Zozo Marine Stadium || 20,084 || 25–12–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 39 || May 19 || @ Marines || 7–2 || Kishi (4–1) || C. Sasaki (1–1) || — || Zozo Marine Stadium || 19,930 || 26–12–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 40 || May 20 || Buffaloes || 0–1 || Tajima (1–2) || Takinaka (1–3) || Yo. Hirano (13) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 17,239 || 26–13–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 41 || May 21 || Buffaloes || 0–6 || Yamamoto (5–2) || Hayakawa (3–2) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 18,306 || 26–14–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 42 || May 22 || Buffaloes || 0–6 || Miyagi (3–2) || Norimoto (2–2) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 17,896 || 26–15–1 || L3 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-top: solid 2px black; border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 43 || May 24 || @ Tigers || 0–1 || Y. Nishi (3–3) || M. Tanaka (4–3) || Iwazaki (7) || Koshien Stadium || 33,186 || 26–16–1 || L4 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 44 || May 25 || @ Tigers || 6–1 || Karashima (1–0) || J. Nishi (2–1) || — || Koshien Stadium || 31,493 || 27–16–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 45 || May 26 || @ Tigers || 1–0 || Sung (2–0) || Iwazaki (1–2) || Y. Matsui (12) || Koshien Stadium || 26,255 || 28–16–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 46 || May 27 || Swallows || 1–8 || Takahashi (4–1) || Takinaka (1–4) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 17,688 || 28–17–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 47 || May 28 || Swallows || 4–11 || Kizawa (3–1) || Hayakawa (3–3) || — || Rakuten Seimei Park || 23,629 || 28–18–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" style="border-right: solid 2px black; border-left: solid 2px black" | 48 || May 29 || Swallows || 3–1 || Norimoto (3–2) || Ishikawa (2–3) || Y. Matsui (13) || Rakuten Seimei Park || 22,534 || 29–18–1 || W1