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03/19/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Giants Live Large off of Hanshin"
Giants Spank Tigers 10-4
The Yomiuri Giants got a gutty little outing from number two draft choice Yuya Kubo and then jumped on Hanshin starter Keiichi Yabu and beat him to a pulp Monday at Gifu, as they ultimately ran up a ten spot and trampled the Tigers 10-4. Kubo may have gotten himself a slot in the middle relief staff thanks to this outing and what he has shown thus far this spring.
Yomiuri lollygagged through the first inning and then woke up in the second, as the blazing hot centerrfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi laced a double into the rightfield corner and, one out later, was brought home on a single to left by third baseman Daisuke Motoki. One out later, rightfielder Mototsugu Kawanaka got behind 1-2, but then received a cookie and munched on it with gusto, leaving the crumbs for the folks in the rightcenterfield bleachers to lend the kyojin a 3-0 cushion.
Hanshin had its most concerted offensive uprising against Kubo in the third, when shortstop Atsushi Fujimoto singled to right, when to second on a sac bunt, and, one out later, crossed on the second of centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi's four hits, this one a single to center, Fujimoto stopping at third. Kubo then unleashed a wild pitch and Fujimoto hustled in and it was 3-1.
However, Yomiuri laughed at that as they buried Yabu further. With one down, catcher Shinnouske Abe doubled to leftcenter and Takahashi beat out a dribbler past the mound and near short. Takahiro Suzuki entered to pinch run for Takahashi and stole second. DH Akira Etoh walked to pack the sacks. Motoki singled to left to usher Abe and Suzuki in. First baseman Koji Goto drilled one off the leftfield wall. Koji Hirashita did a good job getting to it quickly to hold Goto to a long single, but Etoh nonetheless scored to make it 6-1. Kawanaka hammered one to the centerfield wall and in came Goto and Motoki for an 8-1 Giants advantage.
Hanshin then posted its second tally in the fifth as pinch hitter Taichiro Kamisaka beat out a roller toward second and went to second on a groundout. Akahoshi wacked a shot off of second baseman Toshihisa Nishi's glove and as it rolled away, Kamisaka kept on going and made it in to reduce the deficit to 8-2.
That was an exercise in futility, as Yomiuri's order splattered another one on the big board in their time at bat. Goto flamed one into the leftcenterfield gap for a double. He eventually came around to score and the Giants were cruising at 9-2.
The final Giants' final run came in the seventh when Goto and Kawanaka clocked one out singles to right and, one out later, reserve leftfielder Ichiro Horita mashed a shot off the leftfield fence to convert Goto and it was 10-2 Yomiuri.
Takashi Kashiwada was assigned closer duty in this one in the ninth and backup shortstop Yoshinori Okihara slapped a single up the middle for a one out single. Kamisaka walked. Yutaka Nakamura then attempted to leave via straightaway center, but he had to settle for an RBI double. Pinch hitter Toru Fujiwara grounded to second for the second out and an RBI. First baseman Katsumi Hirosawa grounded to short and this one was over.
Rookie Masahiro Nagata started at shortstop and had an infield hit in two at bats, but left the game due to developing a fever. The Giants plan to give him a few instructional league starts so that he can get more at bats.
What impressed Giants coaches about the diminutive Kubo was that he didn't lose command or velocity in the stretch and he was composed when he got into a tough fix. Kubo himself, said that he would only give himself a 50 out of 100, positing that he was overthrowing at times and he wasn't getting his fastball in on the hitters like he wanted to.
For Hanshin, third baseman George Arias was 1-3 and is at .190.
Pitching Lines:
Hanshin:
Yabu (L, 1-1) IP 3.0 BF 19 PC 79 H 9 HR 1 K 3 BB 1 R 8 ER 8 ERA 10.29
Kanazawa IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 20 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.60
T. Fujita IP 3.0 BF 14 PC 57 H 5 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.45
Taninaka IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 17 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yomiuri:
Kubo (W, 1-0) IP 4.0 BF 17 PC 49 H 6 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.70
Nishiyama IP 3.0 BF 11 PC 49 H 4 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.25
Kashiwada IP 2.0 BF 11 PC 30 H 4 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.70
SB: Akahoshi, T.H. Suzuki
2B: Y. Takahashi, S. Abe, Kawanaka, K. Goto, Horita, Y. Nakamura
HR: Kawanaka (1)
RBI: Y. Nakamura, Akahoshi, Fujiwara, Horita, Motoki 2, K. Goto, Kawanaka 4
WP: Kubo
HBP: Nioka (Taninaka)
GIDP: Arias, Hiyama
Season Series: Hanshin 0, Yomiuri 2
Game Time: 3:05
Attendance: 25,000
Umpires: Suginaga (HP), Manabe (1B), Kittaka (2B), Yoshimoto (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri First baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara has asked that he be allowed to begin playing in instructional league games, but he didn't get any definite answer on that from the team's coaches....Kimiyasu Kudoh will be put on an 80 pitch limit for his next few appearances as he aspires to get back into game shape.
Yakult The Swallows are reportedly in the final stages of a deal that would send righthander Jason Beverlin from Cleveland to Yakult. His MLB record was 0-3 with an 8.69 ERA. He wasn't on the Indians' 40 man roster and thus became expendable. he features a fastball, a curve,a slider, and a chanegup
Chunichi Kenta Asakura made an instructional league start Monday and was brilliant, going six scoreless innings on three hits while striking out nine at Nagoya Stadium. Asakura is likely to open on the hill when the team has its home opener April 1st.
Hanshin Injured third baseman Atsushi Kataoka will play in an intrasquad game on the 22nd. Monday, he took 60 swings in the batting cage....Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi threw 70 pitches in batting practice Monday. Coaches thought it would be better to have the big submariner face live hitting rather then just throwing in the pen.
Yokohama The Bay Stars have formed a working agreement with the Tientsin Lions of the infant Chinese pro league, according to Sports Nippon. Team officials will fly to China to formally conclude the deal the first week of April. Team management is also hoping that this will lead to them being able to pick up Chinese players who may be able to help them in the future.
Seibu Mongolia-born sumo yokozuna Asashoryu will throw out the first pitch on opening day when the Lions meet the Nippon Ham Fighters at Seibu Dome.
Daiei Nagisa Arakaki will bring out his forkball in his next start on the 22nd. He hasn't used it for his last two appearances.
Kintetsu Jeremy Powell will almost certainly get the opening day start, according to team sources....The Buffs appear to have given up completely on closer Akinori Otsuka and are going to sell him to the Chunichi Dragons, according to Hochi Sports.
Nippon Ham Carlos Mirabal will make a bit of history when he ascends the mound on opening day against Seibu, as he would then become the first foreign pitcher to get the first regular season game start in Fighters history. He is 2-0 with an 0.90 ERA this spring ....Manager Trey Hillman is contemplating using Michihiro Oagsawara at third and D.T. Cromer at first due to injuries to some of the club's infielders. Angel Echevarria may also see some action at first.
Lotte Tomohiro Kuroki threw 86 pitches in batting practice Monday and reported no pain in his shoulder or elbow. However, he indicated that he is still a long way off from being in regular season shape. He then threw another 64 pitches in the bullpen.
Orix For its three game homeopening series against Seibu, the ballclub is going to offer more than 22,000 seats for free. By doing so, the Blue Wave, which is owned by the same outfit that owns Tokyo Disneyland, will be forfeiting more than $900,000. Total home attendance last season for Orix was 992,000.
Hideki Matsui Godzilla DH'd Tuesday against Detroit in an exhibition game Tuesday and homered into the bullpen in rightcenter on a 1-0 fastball right down broadway. He popped to short, flew out to center, smacked an RBI single to center in the fourth in his other three trips up to the plate.
Miscellaneous 50 female fans reportedly greeted lanky Tohoku High pitching ace Yu Darvish after his pre-Koshien Tournament workout Monday. Darvish, 16, has been clocked at 91mph. He then went out Tuesday and tossed five innings of one hit, five strikeout ball in a practice game against Japanese high school baseball power PL Gakuen, Kazuo Matsui's alma mater. He was clocked at 90mph and had outstanding command of all of his pitches....Shigetoshi Hasegawa had a scheduled B game appearance cancelled by rain Monday, so he threw 72 pitches in the bullpen....Hideo Nomo gave up two runs in two innings Monday against the Expos AAA affiliate in a practice game.... So Taguchi improved his hitting streak to six games Monday, as he went 1-4 with an RBI against Atlanta, the one hit a double he ripped down the leftfield line off of Mike Hampton....Ichiro clouted his first grand slam in three years Tuesday against the Cubs and finished 1-3 with four RBIs before being replaced in the sixth.
Today's Pictures
Diminutive Speedster Norihiro Akahoshi Cracks One of His Four Hits
Kenta Asakura from the Hitter's Perspective
Matsui Earns Middle of the Lineup Slot
See story at: Associated Press Article
Hideki Matsui and Inside Cheese
See story at: Hartford Courant Article
Kokubo to be Examined in L.A.
See story at: Japan Today Article
MLB Making Play for Europe
I like this idea, but only as long as the games would be in Holland or Italy, where baseball is in its infancy. However, but gut instinct is that they should look at Korea first. It could help bolster baseball's flagging fortunes there. Anyway, see story at:
San Francisco Chronicle Article
Mexican Trip Successful for MLB
See story at: Boston Globe Article
Tribe, Portland Not Giving Up on Luring Expos
See story at: Gambling Magazine Article
Hawks Parent Company Comes Begging Again
See story at: Yahoo News Article
Korean Pitchers Fighting for Spots in MLB
See story at: Korea Herald Article
Elephants Swept in Taiwan Pro Action
See story at: Taipei Times Article
