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08/30/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Saito Wins 16th Straight; Valentine Rumor Unfair to Yamamoto"
Matsui, Cabrera Homers Not Enough to Beat Saito and Daiei
Usually, when shortstop Kazuo Matsui and first baseman Alex Cabrera go deep in the same match and Daisuke Matsuzaka is on the mound, it portends victory for the Seibu Lions, but not against nuclear hot righthander Kazumi Saito and the hit machine that is the Daiei Hawks batting order, as the birds of prey went seven games up in the Pacific League standings Wednesday at Seibu Dome 9-5. Saito is now fourth on the all time list with 16 straight wins and is 18-2 overall as he seems destined to become the first PL 20 game man since 1985.
Matsuzaka has been spotty in his last three or so starts and he was positvely rotten here, as he was knocked out after 3.2 innings of seven run ball and an astonishing 94 pitches to get hung with his fifth defeat.
Daiei went on the chain gang from the opening bell, as third baseman Munenori Kawasaki and second baseman Tadahito Iguchi each singled to left with one away and first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka, who has had a very productive stick lately and seems to have rediscovered his 2000 MVP form, crushed a fastball on the outer half of the plate into the leftfield seats and it was 3-0 Hawks.
Saito, though, is perhaps starting to tire late in the season and after striking Matsui out leading off the home portion of the first, was touched for a single to right by a resurgent rightfielder Tatsuya Ozeki. One out later, Cabrera became the second man in Lions history to have three consecutive 40 homer seasons when he murdered a Saito offering and buried it nearly 450 feet away in leftcenter to pull Seibu within 3-2.
Daiei then picked up some insurance in the third when Iguchi singled to center and was erased on a 4-6 force play on a ground ball by Matsunaka. Catcher Kenji Johjima drilled a shot up the leftcenter alley and to the wall, Matsunaka lumbering home from first, for an RBI double to make it 4-2 Hawks.
They added to that in the fifth, as shortstop Yusuke Torigoe singled to rightcenter with one down, the ball mishandled by centerfielder Tomoaki Sato to allow Torigoe to hustle into second. He went to third on a groundout and then crossed when Matsuzaka threw a wild pitch. Kawasaki walked and stole second. Iguchi singled to center. Matsunaka then just missed driving it out, pounding the ball to the opposite field and off the leftfield wall for another two RBIs on the double. Johjima was intentionally walked. Yoshihiro Doi was summoned from the bullpen by Lions skipper Haruki Ihara and leftfielder Pedro Valdes singled to right to load the bases. DH Noriyoshi Omichi flied out to center to keep it at 7-2 Daiei.
Seibu got one back in the fifth, as second baseman Hiroshi Hirao walked and went to second on a one out groundout. Leftfielder Kazuhiro Wada singled to left to plate Hirao and it was 7-3.
The Hawks displayed a good eal of patience in the sixth and were rewarded for it. Reliever Kazuyuki Hoashi walked Kawasaki to open the frame. One out later, he went to second on a groundout. Johjima was intentionally walked again. Valdes was unintentionally freepassed and the sacks were packed. Omichi then waited out a "four ball" to force Kawasaki in and make it 8-3 Daiei.
Saito would permit the Lions to remain within reasonable striking range, as Hirao doubled to leftcenter with one out in the seventh and Matsui clobbered one well into the rightfield seats to put the score at 8-5.
Matsunaka ignited another rally, however, to push Seibu a little further away when he walked with one away in the eighth. He tagged up and moved to second on a deep fly ball to left. Valdes singled to center to redeem Matsunaka and it was 9-5 Hawks.
Katsunori Okamoto and Takayuki Shinohara each surrendered a hit in their one inning stints, but that was all and this one was over.
Saito joins Hall of Fame inductees Victor Starfin (18 in 1940 for Yomiuri) and Kazuhisa Inao (20 for Nishitetsu in 1957) on the 16 consecutive triumphs list. We'll have to see in a few years if he deserved to be in that kind of company or if this is just an abberation.
It's no wonder that Ihara chose to walk Johjima twice. His stats are mind boggling for a catcher, as he has an OPS of 1.031 and has struckout, get this, only 36 times in more than 500 plate appearances while walking 45 times and being struck by pitches 13 times. Can you say MVP? Folks, we may be seeing the greatest all around catcher in Japanese history just beginning to hit his prime. Why Daiei doesn't give this guy a multi-year deal is a huge question.
As for Cabrera's accomplishment, the only other Lions batter to go 40 thrice was the great outfielder Koji Akiyama (1985-1987). The record, however, is eight, by Sadaharu Oh (1963-1970).
Matsui proved again what a dedicated stud he is by showing up for this game. He's had a fever for the last couple of days and even took an IV treatment at a local hospital.
Seen in the stands was Mets Japan Isao Ojimi. Hardly a rare thing to be sure considering the way the New Yorkers are drooling over Matsui and are reportedly hoping that Matsuzaka will fall into their laps at some future point as well.
For Seibu, Cabrera was 2-4 with two RBIs and two strikeouts and is at .331. Third baseman Scott McClain was 0-4 with two strikeouts and is at .234.
For Daiei, Valdes was 2-4 with a walk and an RBI and is at .306. Julio Zuleta was 0-1 in a pinch hit appearance and is at .277.
Pitching Lines:
Daiei:
Saito (W, 18-2) IP 6.1 BF 29 PC 119 H 8 HR 2 K 5 BB 2 R 5 ER 5 ERA 2.72
K. Okamoto IP 1.1 BF 4 PC 18 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.32
Shinohara IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 20 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.99
Seibu:
Matsuzaka (L, 15-5) IP 3.2 BF 23 PC 94 H 9 HR 1 K 4 BB 3 R 7 ER 7 ERA 2.55
Y. Doi IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 13 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.13
Hoashi IP 2.0 BF 10 PC 44 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 4 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.38
K. Maeda IP 1.1 BF 7 PC 24 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 0 ERA 4.26
Mitsui IP 0.2 BF 1 PC 1 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.67
E: T. Sato, Matsuzaka
SB: M. Kawasaki
2B: Johjima, Matsunaka, Hirao, T. Sato
HR: Matsunaka (21), Cabrera (40), K. Matsui (27)
RBI: Shibahara, Matsunaka 5, P. Valdes, Omichi, K. Matsui, K. Wada, Cabrera 2
WP: Matsuzaka
IBB: Johjima 2 (Matsuzaka and Hoashi)
WP: Matsuzaka
GIDP: Omichi (6-4-3), K. Wada (6-4-3), Shibahara (6-4-3)
LOB: Daiei 10, Seibu 6
Season Series: Daiei 15, Seibu 10
Game Time: 3:50
Attendance: 49,000
Umpires: Sakaemura (HP), Yamamoto (1B), Kawaguchi (2B), Tsugawa (3B)
Hanshin Magic Number 16 with Win Over Giants
Leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto went 3-4 with a homer and four RBIs Wednesday at Koshien Stadium, as the Hanshin Tigers appear to be back on solid ground offensively in a 6-4 victory over the Yomiuri Giants. Hanshin's magic number to seize their first pennant since 1985 is 16.
Hideki Irabu started for the Tigers and was just good enough to take his 12th shiroboshi, as he was done up for four runs, all earned, on ten hits in 6.2 innings in another shaky outing.
Giants moundsman Masumi Kuwata, in the wake of several recent excellent starts, tied a career worst when he was evicted after a mere 33 pitches over the course of 1.1 innings after being rocked for four runs on five hits and walking one.
Yomiuri actually had an edge for a few minutes, as shortstop Tomohiro Nioka singled to left to inaugurate the contest and blazed to the plate on a double up the leftcenter gap by centerfielder Takayuki Shimizu. One out later, leftfielder Roberto Petagine singled to right. First baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara singled to left to plate Shimizu and it was 2-0.
But then the home side came to bat and surmounted that problem. Second baseman Makoto Imaoka walked. Centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi singled to center. Kanemoto got a curve ball that was down and on the inner half of the plate and flattened it, depositing the ball more than 425 feet away in the centerfield seats to guide the Tigers to the top of the heap at 3-2.
In the second, Hanshin shortstop Atsushi Fujimoto doubled with one out to leftcenter and set the controls for the heart of the plate on Irabu's single to left. Imaoka singled to left and Kuwata was asked to have a shower, Takashi Kashiwada taking Kuwata's place. The Tigers would load the bases with two outs, but first baseman Hiroshi Yagi grounded out and it remained 4-2.
Rookie Masanori Hayashi, who had been in the rotation recently, was inserted in relief in the fifth since his last start was rained out and he coughed up a single to Akahoshi, who promptly stole second, his 50th theft of the year. Kanemoto squared around as if to bunt and it surprised catcher Yoshinori Murata enough to where he let the pitch get by him for a pased ball. Kanemoto then lined a single to right and Akahoshi was back on the bench with Hanshin in control at 5-2.
Irabu was allowing men to get on, but the Giants couldn't get the big hits to topple him. Finally, Irabu was treated with a firm hand in the seventh. Shimizu socked a fastball on the inner half of the plate into the rightfield bleachers leading off the seventh. Two outs later, Kiyohara was offered a hanging curve ball by Irabu and the big slugger chewed it up and spit it out the opposite way for a homer to right. Hanshin shot caller Senichi Hoshino dialed local and out came Makoto Yoshino, who retired third baseman Takayuki Saito to make the 5-4 Tigers lead still viable.
In the eighth, Yomiuri reliever Yukinaga Maeda whiffed the initial two men he saw in the inning, but rightfielder Yutaka Nakamura flambed a triple off the centerfield wall. He then crossed when Maeda flung a wild pitch to make it 6-4.
Jeff Williams ambled in to close it out for Hanshin and Nioka rifled a single to right. And that was as far as the Giants went, as Shimizu grounded to third, rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi struckout and Petagine fouled out to send the denizens of Osaka and Nishinomiya and environs home happy indeed. A victory against the hated Giants is always "oishii (sweet)" to the inhabitants of Japan's second city.
Kanemoto has now homered three games in a row. For his August thus far, he is hitting .412 (28-68) with six dingers and 13 RBIs.
Kiyohara showed some real grit, as he had to be helped off the field due to his aching hamstrings after grounding out in the sixth, only to stick it out long enough to make an offensive impact in the seventh. He was then removed from the game as a precautionary measure.
With the win, Hanshin has now victimized their Tokyo rivals 15 times, the first time since 1979 they have been able to do that.
Kuwata's troubles stemmed from leaving his pitches up in the zone. He denied, though, that the blister on the middle finger of his righthand made that happen.
For Hanshin, third baseman George Arias was 0-4 with two strikeouts and is at .249.
For Yomiuri, Petagine was 1-5 with two strikeouts and is at .303.
Pitching Lines:
Yomiuri:
Kuwata (L, 4-3) IP 1.1 BF 10 PC 33 H 5 HR 1 K 1 BB 1 R 4 ER 4 ERA 6.12
Kashiwada IP 2.2 BF 9 PC 28 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.84
M. Hayashi IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 18 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 0 ERA 3.28
Bailey IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 21 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.09
Y. Maeda IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 18 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 1 ER 0 ERA 3.57
Hanshin:
Irabu (W, 12-6) IP 6.2 BF 32 PC 128 H 10 HR 2 K 5 BB 3 R 4 ER 4 ERA 3.31
Yoshino IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.45
Ando IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 6 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.50
Williams (S, 23) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 11 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.43
E: M. Kawai, Arias
SB: Nioka, Kawanaka, Akahoshi
2B: T. Shimizu, Fujimoto
3B: Y. Nakamura
HR: Kanemoto (18), T. Shimizu (14), Kiyohara (18)
RBI: Kanemoto 4, Y. Nakamura, Irabu, T. Shimizu, Kiyohara
WP: Bailey, Y. Maeda
PB: Y. Murata, A. Yano, Ota
GIDP: Nioka (5-4-3), Y. Murata (1-6-3)
LOB: Yomiuri 9, Hanshin 6
Season Series: Yomiuri 6, Hanshin 15, 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:17
Attendance: 51,000
Umpires: Tomoyose (HP), K. Kobayashi (1B), Shimada (2B), Kasahara (3B)
Yamamoto Keeps on Rolling in Second Half for Dragons 6-1
This was a game of extremes in one sense. Starting for the Chunichi Dragons was 20th year veteran lefty Masahiro Yamamoto, a crafty screwballer with a fastball that maxes out at around 85mph. For Yakult, they dispatched rookie Yuhei Takai, who routinely runs it up to the plate at around 93mph. Now what's that saying about age and treachery beating youth and beauty? So you can perhaps guess that Yamamoto prevailed in this one while Takai had trouble finding the strike zone, as the Dragons beat Yakult 6-1 Wednesday at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Catcher Motonobu Tanishige drove in three runs to provide solid support for Yamamoto's effort.
Chunichi popped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, as shortstop Hirokazu Ibata singled to left and second baseman Masahiro Araki singled to center. Ibata motoring to third. One out later, Tatsunami tapped one out toward second, beating the throw to first to lend Ibata time to cross the plate.
Takai walked the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth, but the Dragons couldn't convert. They would, though, in the fifth, when Takai had another fit of wildness. Rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome opened the stanza by doing the stroll to first base after ball four. Tatsunami singled to right. One out later, first baseman Omar Linares walked to juice the bags. Tanishige torqued a 3-2 fastball down the leftfield line and even the slow footed Linares was able to romp in to widen it to 4-0 Tadashi Honma was substituted for Takai. Chunichi. Leftfielder Hidenori Kuramoto singled to center. Yamamoto bounced one out near second and legged it out to nudge Tanishige in and it was 5-0.
In the sixth, Araki singled to center off of reliever Tatsuki Yamamoto and Fukudome singled to right. Tatsunami grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, Fukudome moving to third. Centerfielder Alex Ochoa doubled into the leftfield corner to make it 6-0 Dragons.
Yamamoto noticed that the ball wasn't going anywhere in right in the bandbox ballpark due to the wind blowing from right to left, so he worked the outside corner like nobody's business and got tremedous results.
Yakult scored its lone tally in the seventh when leftfielder Alex Ramirez doubled to leftcenter. One out later, catcher Atsuya Furuta singled to left to cut it to 6-1. They only managed one hit the rest of the way, however, closer Akinori Otsuka working a perfect ninth.
With his performance, Yamamoto passed Hanshin lefty Kei Igawa in the ERA race. If he can maintain that lead, he would be the third oldest in history to win an ERA title. Hiroshima great Yutaka took one home at age 42 in 1997.
Takai told reporters once the game ended that he was overthrowing, which ruined his command and caused him to leave a lot of pitches up in the zone. He has had back pain recently, which often times keeps a hurler from finishing his pitches properly, but Takai refused to use that as an excuse.
Tanishige was 7-11 in bases loaded situations last year with two grannies. This year, he's 4-14.
For Yakult, Ramirez was 1-4 and is at .333.
For Chunichi, Ochoa was 2-5 with an RBI and is at .280. Linares was 0-2 with two walks and is at .244.
Chunichi:
M. Yamamoto (W, 8-4) IP 7.1 BF 29 PC 120 H 5 HR 0 K 7 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.96
Iwase IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 7 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.08
A.N. Otsuka IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 7 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.72
Yakult:
Takai (L, 5-4) IP 4.1 BF 25 PC 113 H 6 HR 0 K 4 BB 6 R 5 ER 5 ERA 4.43
T. Honma IP 0.2 BF 3 PC 13 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.00
Tatsuki Yamamoto IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 19 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.13
Y. Sakamoto IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 25 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.38
H. Sato IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.90
2B: S. Miyamoto, Tanishige, Ochoa, Ramirez
3B: Fukudome
RBI: Tatsunami, Ochoa, Tanishige 3, M. Yamamoto, Furuta
HBP: Iwamura (M. Yamamoto)
GIDP: Tatsunami (4-6-3)
LOB: Chunichi 10, Yakult 6
Season Series: Chunichi 13, Yakult 9
Game Time: 3:48
Attendance: 16,000
Umpires: Yoshimoto (HP), Mori (1B), Kittaka (2B), Honda (3B)
Kintetsu Pennant Hopes on Life Support with 9-8 Defeat by Lotte
Both starters in this one had hits machine gunned all around them, and when the smoke finally cleared, the Chiba Lotte Marines emerged with the prize and the Kintetsu Buffaloes regressed to a daunting 7.5 games back in the standings Wednesday at Chiba Marine Stadium by a 9-8 score. Kintetsu's inability to take advantage of the fifth place Lotte squad is sabotaging their pennant bid.
Nelio Rodriguez started for the Buffs and he may be due for a demotion to the minors, as he has been little more than a glorified batting practice pitcher, lasting less than an inning in this case.
Nathan Minchey actually received credit for the win, but was also charged with six runs, all earned, in six innings. This was U-G-L-Y.
Kintetsu stormed ahead in the first when leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes walked with two away and DH Norihiro Nakamura kaboomed one into the centerfield stands to make it 2-0.
Lotte saw those and raised the ante in the home portion when centerfielder Jun Inoue singled to right and went to second on a wild pitch. After he went to third on a groundout, DH Koichi Hori doubled to left center for the RBI. Third baseman Jose Fernandez doubled to leftcenter to chase Hori and leftfielder Rick Short replicated that to drive Fernandez in. Rightfielder Saburo Omura put a whippin' on another Rodriguez offering and lost it in the leftcenterfield bleachers to make it 5-2 home folks.
Kintetsu shaved one off of that lead in the top of the third, as first baseman Hirotoshi Kitagawa singled to center and eventually came around to score, though the game log is vague on how he got there. Whatever the case, it was now 5-3.
Lotte exacerbated the gap in the fourth when Saburo Omura doubled off the leftfield wall and went to third on a sac bunt. Second baseman Masato Watanabe crashed a triple off the leftfield fence for an RBI. Shortstop Makoto Kosaka singled to right for a 7-3 advantage.
But Minchey would keep Kintetsu in the game. Rightfielder Koichi Isobe and shortstop Masahiro Abe each singled to center. Catcher Tetsuya Matoyama doubled into the rightcenter alley and Isobe and Abe sped home while Matoyama went to third on the throw home. One out later, second baseman Eiji Mizuguchi fliedout to right and Matoyama tagged up and crossed to make it 7-6.
An inning later, Watanabe did the long distance runaround on reliever Kanehisa Arime to leftcenter and it was 8-6 Lotte.
Fernandez poured an Akira Okamoto delivery into the leftcenterfield stands and Lotte was now up 9-6.
Brian Sikorsky, who had gotten the final two outs in the seventh for Lotte, had his focus elude him in the eighth. Naoyuki Omura doubled down the leftfield line. Mizuguchi and Rhodes walked to jam the basepaths. DH Norihiro Nakamura flied out to right and Omura tagged up and strode in to make it 9-7 Lotte.
Closer Masahide Kobayashi then sought to seal it in the ninth and nearly got beat. Isobe leadoff with a walk and went to third on a single to left by Daisuke Masuda. Kenshi Kawaguchi flew out to left for a sacrifice fly. Naoyuki Omura, however, grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing to foil the rally and Lotte pocketed the W 9-8.
The victory was manager Koji Yamamoto's 300th of his career.
For Lotte, Fernandez was 2-5 with a walk and two RBIs and is at .270. Short was 1-4 with an RBI and is at .277.
For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 0-2 with two walks and is at .276.
Kintetsu:
Rodriguez (L, 3-2) IP 0.2 BF 7 PC 27 H 5 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 5 ER 5 ERA 6.61
Maekawa IP 3.0 BF 14 PC 45 H 4 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 6.67
Misawa IP 1.1 BF 4 PC 21 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.57
Arime IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 18 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 6.19
A. Okamoto IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 21 H 1 HR 1 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.05
H. Koike IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.95
Lotte:
Minchey (W, 11-7) IP 6.0 BF 24 PC 110 H 5 HR 1 K 4 BB 2 R 6 ER 6 ERA 4.29
S. Fujita IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.00
Sikorsky IP 1.2 BF 8 PC 38 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.52
M.H. Kobayashi (S, 23) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 15 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.29
E: Matoyama
SB: Kosaka, M. Watanabe
2B: Hori, Fernandez, Short, S. Omura, Matoyama, N. Omura
3B: M.Watanabe
HR: N. Nakamura (20), S. Omura (2), M. Watanabe (3), Fernandez (21)
RBI: Mizuguchi, N. Nakamura 3, Matoyama 2, K. Kawaguchi, Kosaka, Hori, Fernandez 2, Short, S. Omura 2, M. Watanabe
2
SF: Mizuguchi, N. Nakamura, K. Kawaguchi
WP: Minchey
HBP: M. Watanabe (A. Okamoto)
PB: Matoyama
GIDP: N. Omura (4-6-3)
LOB: Kintetsu 2, Lotte 5
Season Series: Kintetsu 11, Lotte 11 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:31
Attendance: 18,000
Umpires: Akimura (HP), Yamagita (1B), Nakamura (2B), Kodera (3B)
Nippon Ham Almost at .500 With Win Over Orix
The Nippon Ham Fighters are now just one win away from reaching the .500 mark, as Satoru Kanemura hypnotized the Orix Blue Wave on one run and five hits for a 6-1 victory. Makoto Suzuki made his first start in three weeks and, debuting a new sidearm delivery, stunk again for his ninth loss that hiked his ERA up to 8.17. When are they going to release this guy?
Orix staked Suzuki to a 1-0 lead in the first when first baseman Kazuhiko Shiotani singled to left and went to second on a groundout. Centerfielder Yoshitomo Tani singled to left and Shiotani was waved in.
Suzuki had runners on in each of the first three innings, but the Fighters didn't push anything across. Until the fourth, that is. First baseman Kuniyuki Kimoto singled to center and, one out later, shortstop Makoto Kaneko outran a tapper on the infield. Centerfielder Tsutomu Ishimoto singled to left to bring Kimoto across with the tying run. One out later, DH Tomochika Tsuboi doubled to leftcenter and the runners, both of whom can fly, sprinted to the plate for a 3-1 Fighters advantage.
In the sixth, Nippon Ham capped offtheir scoring when rightfielder Yoshinori Ueda reached on an infield hit and Kaneko singled to right. Suzuki handed the ball to Kazuya Motoyanagi and Ishimoto also used his wheels to beat out a bleeder to load the bases. D.T. Cromer, pinch hitting for catcher Kazunari Sanematsu, doubled into the rightfield corner for two RBIs. One out later, Orix manager Leon Lee, not knowing that Fighters third baseman Michihiro Ogasawara had a 13 straight at bat on base streak, ordered the PL batting leader intentionally walked to reload the bases. That also enabled him to tie the Japan record for reaching base held by two others. Leftfielder Angel Echevarria walked to force in a run and it was 6-1 Nippon Ham. Orix was no hit the last four innings and this one quietly slipped into the history books.
Ogasawara came up again in the eighth, but popped out to third against Shuichi Iwashita and he has to be satisifed with being alongside Yoshinobu Takahashi of Yomiuri this season and Tokitake Minamibuchi of Lotte in 1993. Ogasawara is hitting .372 and has a .486 OBP. During that streak, he got on on seven walks and seven hits. Manager Trey Hillman, commenting on Ogasawara's attainment, said, "it's an unbelievable record. I'm really proud of him. He puts it all on the line everytime out. He's a true professional." As usual, Ogasawara was uncomfrtable talking about himself, though noting that he felt that tying the record on an intentional walk didn't leave him with a particularly satisfied feeling.
For Orix, leftfielder Roosevelt Brown was 0-4 and is at .316. Second baseman Jose Ortiz was 0-4 with two strikeouts and is at .252.
For Nippon Ham, Echevarria was 1-4 with a walk and an RBI and is at .263. Cromer was 1-1 with two RBIs and is at .202.
Pitching Lines:
Nippon Ham:
Kanemura (W, 9-6) IP 8.0 BF 29 PC 116 H 5 HR 0 K 8 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.12
Tateyama IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.22
Orix:
M. Suzuki (L, 2-9) IP 5.0 BF 25 PC 103 H 11 HR 0 K 6 BB 1 R 5 ER 5 ERA 8.17
Motoyanagi IP 1.0 BF 7 PC 28 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 6.08
J. Hagiwara IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 30 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 7.07
Iwashita IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 6 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 9.00
T. Kitagawa IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 25 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.91
2B: Tsuboi, Cromer
RBI: Tsuboi 2, Echevarria, Ishimoto, Cromer 2, Tani
IBB: M. Ogasawara (Motoyanagi)
GIDP: Echevarria (6-4-3), Kimoto (5-4-3)
LOB: Nippon Ham 12, Orix 4
Season Series: Nippon Ham 12, Orix 9 2 Ties
Game Time: 3:28
Attendance: 26,000
Umpires: Hayashi (HP), Yoshikawa (1B), Nagami (2B), Sato (3B)
Takahashi Spins Complete Game Eight Hitter to Best Yokohama 7-2
Second baseman Takuya Kimura walloped a three run homer to back a complete game nine hitter by Hiroshima Carp starter Ken Takahashi for Takahashi's first victory in two months. Domingo Guzman is now 4-12 after his six innings of toil that saw him permit four runs, two earned, on five hits as the Yokohama Bay Stars lose and lose and lose.
The Stars used a homer to right by leftfielder Takanori Suzuki to draw first blood in the second, but that was ephemeral.
In the top of the third, third baseman Kenjiro Nomura walked and went to second on a sacrifice. Takahashi singled to center. Rightfielder Shigeru Morikasa flied out to center and Nomura tagged up and ran in to level it at 1-1.
Yokohama went back up, though, when catcher Ryoji Aikawa singled to center and went to second on a sacrifice. He advanced to third on a groundout and toed the dish on an infield hit by shortstop Takuro Ishii to make it 2-1 Stars.
That wouldn't be adequate to get Guzman through this start, though. In the sixth, Morikasa cracked a one out single to left and, one out later, centerfielder Koichi Ogata walked. Shortstop Andy Sheets singled to center to load the bases. A pitch got through Aikawa for a passed ball and it was 2-2. Leftfielder Tomonori Maeda singled to center to redeem Ogata for a 3-2 lead. First baseman Takahiro Arai doubled down the rightfield line and Sheets being plated made it 4-2 Carp.
Then Kimura applied the big hammer. In the seventh, with Takeharu Kato working in relief, catcher Yoshiyuki Ishihara got on thanks to an infield hit and was subsequently forced out on a grounder to short by Takahashi. Kato plunked Morikasa. Kimura shredded one into the rightfield bleachers and Yokohama was reeling at 7-2.
Yokohama collected two hits in the eighth and one in the ninth and it wouldn't be near enough to get anything boiling as Takahashi put it to bed.
For Hiroshima, Sheets was 2-4 and is at .321.
For Yokohama, first baseman Tyrone Woods was 0-4 and is at .253.
Pitching Lines:
Hiroshima:
K. Takahashi (W, 9-5) IP 9.0 BF 34 PC 117 H 9 HR 1 K 3 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.47
Yokohama:
Guzman (L, 4-12) IP 6.0 BF 25 PC 96 H 5 HR 0 K 5 BB 2 R 4 ER 4 ERA 4.95
T.H. Kato IP 1.0 BF 7 PC 20 H 3 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 3 ER 3 ERA 2.75
Fukumori IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 20 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.21
Morinaka IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.55
E: Kinjo
2B: T. Arai
HR: T.N. Suzuki (16), T. Kimura (9)
RBI: Morikasa, T. Kimura 3, T Maeda, T. Arai, T. Ishii, T. Suzuki
SF: Morikasa
HBP: Morikasa (Kato)
GIDP: Kinjo (5-4-3), S. Murata (5-4-3)
LOB: Hiroshima 5, Yokohama 5
Season Series: Hiroshima 13, Yokohama 7
Game Time: 2:43
Attendance: 12,000
Umpires: Fukatani (HP), Manabe (1B), Ino (2B), Suginaga (3B)
Bobby Valentine Headed Back to Japan?
There's a rumor that was referred to by Nikkan Sports insisting that Bobby Valentine would return to the Chiba Lotte Marines in a five year deal, but Lotte is denying that any talks with Valentine have taken place at all. In addition, they don't know who is going to replace present field boss Koji Yamamoto, who will be let go after the schedule ends.
You gotta feel sorry for Yamamoto. He's done a credible job with a team that has had its number one starter out with a bad shoulder for the better part of two seasons and Kosuke Kato and Shingo Ono, the number three and four starters, are out with injuries. Also, this team is short in the batting order and former PCL batting champ Rick Short and former Angels Minor League Player of the Year Jose Fernandez haven't been anything other them mediocre. The only real studs they have are first baseman Kazuya Fukuura, workhorse Nate Minchey and closer Masahide Kobayashi. In essence, jettisoning Yamamotois little more than arranging deck chairs on the titanic.
Stoneman "Mystified" by Matsui Tampering Story
And just so he doesn't get accused of anything, Miller had my permission to use those translations of the Hochi Sports quotes. See story at: MLB.com Article
Popeye Had Spinach, Matsui Has Eel
See story at: Newark Star-Ledger Award
Mets' Phillips Accused of Ripping Off Seo
Another black eye for MLB at: Newark Star-Ledger Article
Tigers Upstaged by Cat
See story at: Mainichi Shimbun Article
