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09/05/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Arias Homers Twice to Shrink Magic Number; Shinjo to Orix?"
Arias Homers Twice to Reduce Hanshin Magic Number to 9
Hanshin Tigers first baseman George Arias has found his stroke bigtime, as he belted two homers and drove in four runs and Hideki Irabu managed to confine the Hiroshima Carp to two runs in five innings despite allowing seven hits and walking four in a 7-4 victory Tuesday at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. The Tigers magic number is now nine.
Ken Takahashi started for Hiroshima and was taken to the downs twice in his six inning, four run stint to get hung with the loss.
Hiroshima had a brief lead in the first, when second baseman Takuya Kimura singled to center, centerfielder Koichi Ogata doubled to rightcenter and shortstop Andy Sheets lifted a fly ball to right that permitted Kimura to tag up and cross to make it 1-0.
But with one out in the second, Arias crushed a slider on the inner half of the plate and buried it in the leftfield stands to knot it at one all.
Then in the fourth, Arias hammered a sinker on the outer half of the plate and went with it to rightcenterfield for his 30th roundtripper of the year and a 2-1 Hanshin advantage.
However, the Carp evened it in the fourth, when Irabu walked Kenjiro Nomura and, one out later, free passed Takahashi. Shigeru Morikasa laced a double to rightcenter to bring in Nomura. Irabu then stepped it up and struckout the next two men to keep it there.
And the Tigers would surge out to another lead in the fifth, as centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi walked and leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto singled to right, Akahoshi jetting over to third.. Third baseman Atsushi Kataoka grounded out to first to hail Akahoshi in. Arias singled to left to push Kanemoto in and it was 4-2 Hanshin.
Hiroshima had two men on with one out in the bottom of the frame, but Irabu fanned another pair and his night was done.
In the seventh, Hanshin got some separation when Kanemoto walked, Kataoka doubled to rightcenter, Kanemoto sprinting to the plate, catcher Akihiro Yano singled to left for an RBI and Shuta Tanaka did the same for one more to make it 7-2 Tigers.
Jerrod Riggan and Makoto Yoshino shutdown the Carp offense, but it woke up again in the ninth against Takehito Kanazawa. Morikasa leadoff with a walk. Toyo Asayama, who tore it up in the spring but was all but forgotten when the bell rang, mashed one into the leftfield stands to shrink the gap between the competing parties to 7-4. Manager Senichi Hoshino got on the horn to Yuya Ando, who retired each of the next three hitters and that was your ballgame. It was Irabu's first time beating Hiroshima in his career.
For Hiroshima, Sheets was 0-3 with a walk and an RBI and is at .320.
For Hanshin, Arias was 4-5 with four RBIs and is at .270. The former Padre is 13-20 with five homers and 13 RBIs in his last five games and seven homers in his last nine. He is 6-6 against Takahashi this season. This was his' fourth multi-homer game this season and his fourth four hit effort. He has now collected at least 30 homers in each of the last three seasons.
Pitching Lines:
Hanshin:
Irabu (W, 13-6) IP 5.0 BF 26 PC 94 H 7 HR 0 K 6 BB 4 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.32
Riggan IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 26 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.57
Yoshino IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.25
Kanazawa IP 0.0 BF 2 PC 11 H 1 HR 1 K 0 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.43
Ando (S, 5) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.44
Hiroshima:
K. Takahashi (L, 9-6) IP 6.0 BF 29 PC 103 H 9 HR 2 K 1 BB 2 R 4 ER 4 ERA 3.56
Nishikawa IP 0.0 BF 2 PC 10 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 7.15
Amano IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 21 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.43
S. Tamaki IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 16 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.42
Tsuruta IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 16 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.32
E: K. Kimura
SB: Y. Nakamura, Ogata
2B: Ogata, Morikasa, A. Yano, Arias, Kuji
HR: Arias 2 (30), Asayama (1)
RBI: Kataoka, Arias 4, A. Yano, S. Tanaka, Morikasa, Asayama 2, Sheets
SF: Sheets
HBP: Akahoshi (K.Takahashi)
GIDP: Irabu (1-5-4)
LOB: Hanshin 11, Hiroshima 10
Season Series: Hanshin 13, Hiroshima 7
Game Time: 3:39
Attendance: 18,000
Umpires: Uemoto(HP), Mori (1B), Tani (2B), Kasahara (3B)
Kintetsu Edges Matsuzaka 3-2
One thing that the Daiei Hawks are counting on in their quest to come out on top in the Pacific League pennant race is that the Seibu Lions and the Kintetsu Buffaloes will beat up on each other. Well, that worked this time, as third place Kintetsu edged Daisuke Matsuzaka, who started anyway despite not feeling very well, and the Lions 3-2 Tuesday at Osaka Dome before a disappointing crowd of 18,000. Jeremy Powell, with Tommy Lasorda at the game, was bestowed with a shiroboshi after seven innings of three run, seven hit pitching, though he walked three and hit a batter, too.
Matsuzaka was afflicted with some bad luck in absorbing the defeat, but nevertheless, he did give up nine hits in eight innings and walked another two.
Powell made some big trouble for himself in the first, as shortstop Kazuo Matsui outran a dribbler and, after Matsui was sacrificed along, Powell walked leftfielder Kazuhiro Wada and first baseman Alex Cabrera was plunked to load the bases. However, DH Taketoshi Goto came up empty and rightfielder Hiroyuki Oshima popped out to short to waste a big opportunity at blowing Powell's doors off.
Kintetsu bunched a trio of knocks in the second to jump in front, as first baseman Yuji Yoshioka singled to left and rightfielder Koichi Isobe singled near the line in left. One out later, shortstop Masahiro Abe singled to left to invite Yoshioka home for a 1-0 lead.
Then it was time for Kintetsu to let a big chance slip through its hands. Centerfielder Naoyuki Omura got aboard on an infield single and went to second on a sac bunt. Both leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes and DH Norihiro Nakamura walked to pack the sacks. But Yoshioka slapped a comebacker to Matsuzaka, who went to catcher Toru Hosokawa, who relayed it to Cabrera for an inning ending double play.
Seibu had its only cohesive rally in the fifth, as Matsui singled to center and was sacrificed to second. One out later, Cabrera was intentionally walked, holding his bat backwards while he waited for the inevitable in protest. Goto singled to right and Matsui came around to equalize it at 1-1. Oshima steamed one down the rightfield line to send Cabrera in and it was 2-1 Lions.
Matsuzaka had made a conscious decision to back off of his velocity for the sake of better control and to conserve some energy, as he reached 93mph only three times in the game. He was still getting the ball in on the hitters, though. But ironically, it would be a jam job that would result in his downfall. Abe leadoff with a single to center. One out later, Omura hustled up the line for an infield hit. Following another out, Matsuzaka jammed leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes with a 91mph fastball. The ball had great placement, as it fell into leftcenter between Ozeki and Wada, the latter making a futile dive for it. Abe scored as Ozeki picked the ball up and gunned it to Scott McClain at third, where Omura was sliding in. The peg hit Omura in the back and rolled away to allow him to bust for home with the lead run and make it 3-2 Kintetsu.
Seibu killer Katsuhiko Maekawa jogged in from the bullpen and appeared that he would break his usual anti-Lions form by walking McClain with one away, who was pinch run for by Fujikazu Takanami. Takanami tried to steal second and was out. Hosokawa singled to left and went to second on a wild pitch. But that was as far as the Tokorozawa nine could go, as second baseman Hiroyuki Takagi flew out to left and then Toyohiko Yoshida worked a perfect ninth for Kintetsu to seal it. With the Seibu loss, Daiei's magic number is reduced to 18.
Kintetsu is 1-1 in four starts against Matsuzaka this season, though the righthander has a 2.74 ERA in those faceoffs.
For Seibu, Cabrera was 0-2 with a walk and an HBP and is at .327. McClain was 0-3 with a walk and is at .231.
For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 2-3 with a walk and an RBI and is at .275.
Pitching Lines:
Seibu:
Matsuzaka (L, 15-6) IP 8.0 BF 35 PC 106 H 9 HR 0 K 3 BB 2 R 3 ER 2 ERA 2.54
Kintetsu:
Powell (W, 12-11) IP 7.0 BF 32 PC 120 H 7 HR 0 K 5 BB 3 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4,37
Maekawa IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 22 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.03
T. Yoshida (S, 7) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 11 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.98
E: Ozeki, Cabrera, H.Y. Oshima
2B: H.Y. Oshima
RBI: T.T. Goto, H.Y. Oshima, Rhodes, M. Abe
IBB: Cabrera (Powell)
WP: Matsuzaka, Maekawa
HBP: Cabrera (Powell)
GIDP: Yoshioka (1-2-3)
LOB: Seibu 10, Kintetsu 8
Season Series: Seibu 12, Kintetsu 13
Game Time: 3:03
Attendance: 18,000
Umpires: Nagami (HP), Kodera (1B), Higashi (2B), Hayashi (3B)
Kisanuki Bounces Back With Shutout Against Chunichi
Yomiuri Giants rookie Hiroshi Kisanuki spun the game of his short pro career Tuesday at Kurashiki Muskat Stadium in Okayama Prefecture, as he went all the way for his second career shutout and moved back into second place in the Central League ERA rankings in a 3-0 triumph.
Kisanuki had been roughed up his last three starts, and after coaches examined some video footage, had Kisanuki make a minor change to his leg position as he delivers the ball, which appeared to be the elixir he needed for his first victory since August 5th.
The Giants had the upper hand in the first inning, as Mototsugu Kawanaka singled to right with one away and stole second. One out later, leftfielder Roberto Petagine singled to right and Kawanaka scampered home with a 1-0 lead.
Dragons starter Masafumi Hirai was done up for two hits in both the second and third, but the Giants order couldn't convert. Kisanuki, though, was victimized by a Chunichi rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome searing a 3-0 fastball for his league leading tenth triple into the leftfield corner with two outs in the third. Fukudome, though, was left there when third baseman Kazuyoshi Tatsunami flied out.
But Fukudome would make more of difference in the bottom of the stanza, as Yomiuri rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi singled near the rightfield line and decided to try for second. Fukudome got to it and fired a strike on the fly to shortstop Hirokazu Ibata for his 13th assist, also number one in the circuit.
Hirai felt some discomfort and was pulled with two outs in the fifth in favor of Shigetoshi Yamakita, who worked 1.1 scoreless innings. Marc Valdes succeeded him for the seventh and he walked shortstop Tomohiro Nioka with one out. After Nioka was sacrificed to second, Yuichi Hisamoto entered the game and Takahashi pinged a long single off the rightfield wall, displaying a little more respect for Fukudome's arm while also picking up an RBI. Petagine then carromed a shot off the centerfield wall and Takahashi blazes around on the double for a 3-0 Giants advantage.
Kisanuki limited the Dragons to two singles over the last third of the match to turn out the lights. This was also the second consecutive scoreless tilt for the Nagoya crew. Furthermore, the Giants have won all six of Kisanuki's starts against Chunichi.
Fukudome is now the the first CL player in 23 years that someone had attained double figures in triples, the last one being Yoshihiko Takahashi of Hiroshima. Too, this is the first time in 39 years, since Toshio Naka, that a Dragon has had ten three baggers.
Kisaniki is the first Yomiuri rookie to throw a walkless shutout since Hisanori Takahashi in 2000.
For Chunichi, Alex Ochoa was 1-1 in a pinch hit appearance and is at .275. Omar Linares struckout in a pinch hit role and is at .235.
For Yomiuri, Petagine was 3-4 with two RBIs and is at .315. Centerfielder Chris Latham was 0-4 with three strikeouts and is at .250.
Pitching Lines:
Chunichi:
Hirai (L, 7-6) IP 4.2 BF 21 PC 69 H 8 HR 0 K 5 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.81
Yamakita IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 25 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.15
M. Valdes IP 0.2 BF 3 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.76
Hisamoto IP 0.0 BF 2 PC 8 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.09
Shotsu IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 20 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 19.29
Yomiuri:
Kisanuki (W, 9-4) IP 9.0 BF 33 PC 120 H 5 HR 0 K 8 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.96
E: Takayuki Saito
SB: Kawanaka, Takayuki Saito
2B: Petagine
3B: Fukudome
RBI: Y. Takahashi, Petagine 2
LOB: Chunichi 6, Yomiuri 9
Season Series: Chunichi 12, Yomiuri 12
Game Time: 3:01
Attendance: 30,500
Umpires: Arisumi (HP), Manabe (1B), Watanda (2B), Tomoyose (3B)
Three Run Suzuki Homer in Eighth Downs Yokohama 6-3
Yakult Swallows third baseman Ken Suzuki mortared a three run homer in the eighth inning to dissolve a 3-3 tie with two outs in the eighth inning Tuesday at Nagano to give the birds a 6-3 victory over the Yokohama Bay Stars. Rookie Yuhei Takai started for the Swallows and went seven innings of three run, six hit ball before giving way to reliever Ryota Igarashi, who was credited with the win.
Takao Kawamura started for Yokohama and went six innings of three run baseball and didn't figure in the decision.
Takai made a mistake in the third and put himself at a disadvantage thereby, as Yokohama centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo reached on an infield hit and, two outs later, first baseman Tyrone Woods punished a hanging breaking ball well beyond the leftcenterfield fence for a 2-0 Stars lead.
Yakult halved that in the bottom segment, as second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi singled to left, went to second on a sacrifice and went to third on a single to center by rightfielder Mitsuru Manaka. Shortstop Shinya Miyamoto flied out to right and Shiroishi tagged up and crossed to make it 2-1 Stars.
An inning later, Suzuki did a rendition of "Long Stick Goes Boom" into the rightfield seats and it was a new ballgame at 2-2.
In the sixth, leftfielder Alex Ramirez jackhammered one into the centerfield bleachers and now Yakult was up 3-2.
Yokohama came back in the seventh, as shortstop Takuro Ishii went yard to rightcenter to level it at 3-3.
But this see saw battle would have an end and that came in the eighth. With two gone, centerfielder Akinori Iwamura walked and Ramirez singled to center. Suzuki then exited to the righthand side again for a 6-3 lead.
Sidearming Swallows closer Shingo Takatsu struckout two of the three men he encountered in a flawless ninth for the 6-3 final.
For Yokohama, Woods was 1-4 with two RBIs and is at .256.
For Yakult, Ranirez was 2-4 with an RBI and is at .325. First baseman Todd Betts was 0-3 and is at .285.
Pitching Lines:
Yokohama:
Kawamura IP 6.0 BF 24 PC 80 H 6 HR 2 K 2 BB 0 R 3 ER 3 ERA 5.62
H. Yamada IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 11 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.58
Tazaki (L, 2-2) IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 21 H 2 HR 1 K 1 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 3.93
Yakult:
Takai IP 7.0 BF 28 PC 105 H 6 HR 2 K 1 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 4.38
Ryo. Igarashi (W, 4-3) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 20 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.29
Takatsu (S, 27) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 8 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.76
SB: S. Murata
HR: Woods (31), K. Suzuki 2 (19), Ramirez (31), T. Ishii (6)
RBI: Woods 2, T. Ishii, S. Miyamoto, Ramirez, K. Suzuki 4
SF: S. Miyamoto
LOB: Yokohama 4, Yakult 3
Season Series: Yokohama 6, Yakult 16
Game Time: 2:30
Attendance: 11,000
Umpires: Honda (HP), Kittaka (1B), Ino (2B), Suginaga (3B)
Shiotani Sayonara Single Gets Orix by Lotte 8-7
Orix Blue Wave first baseman Kazuhiko Shiotani singled to right to drive in Koichi Oshima from second in the botttom of the ninth inning Tuesday at Kobe Green Stadium to edge the Chiba Lotte Marines 8-7. Shiotani eclipsed Ichiro Suzuki's club record 23 game hitting streak with by extending his to 24.
Nate Minchey started on the mound for Lotte and was throughly kicked around for seven runs in two innings, but he had the good fortune of Makoto Suzuki being the starter for Orix, who was lit up for five runs in three innings to let Lotte keep it close. At the end of the day, neither figured in the decision, but that's baseball for you.
Lotte used Suzuki's early wildness against him in the first, as shortstop Makoto Kosaka walked and went to second on a groundout. First baseman Kazuya Fukuura walked. One out later, third baseman Jose Fernandez singled to right to plate Kosaka to make it 1-0.
But with two outs in the bottom of the inning, centerfielder Yoshitomo Tani howitzered one into the leftfield seats and it was 1-1.
Then a bit of luck got Lotte another tally when Orix leftfielder Roosevelt Brown lost a fly ball by rightfielder Saburo Omura in the lights and it went over his head and Omura circled the bases for an inside the park home run to make it 2-1.
So next time up, Orix had a good old time bashing Minchey into submission. Shiotani singled to right and second baseman Jose Ortiz singled to left. DH Takeshi Yamasaki homered to center to make it 4-2. Catcher Takeshi Hidaka walked and rightfielder Ryutaro Tsuji singled to right. Oshima bounced into a 1-5 force. Shortstop Keiichi Hirano grounded to first and the runners moved up on the out. Tani walked. So did Brown and Tsuji trotted in. Shiotani singled to right for two RBIs and Orix seemed to be in the driver's seat at 7-2. Chigau! (Wrong!).
In the top of the third and with two down, DH Koichi Hori singled to left adn went to second on a wild pitch. Fernandez singled to center to cash Hori in. Leftfielder Rick Short tapped a ground ball out near second. Ortiz grabbed it and threw it away and the runners ended up on second and third respectively. It was ruled an infield hit and an error. Omura singled to left to get 'em home and it was becoming tense again at 7-5.
In the fifth, Fernandez got a hold of a Rui Makino delivery and jerked it into the leftfield bleachers to make it 7-6.
Lotte then restored equilibrium in the seventh, as Omura walked with one out, stole second and went home on a single to left by second baseman Masato Watanabe, 7-7 after seven.
Somebody had to prevail in this thing and Orix would be the lucky party. In the ninth, Oshima walked off of Soichi Fujita and was sacrificed to second. Tani was intentionally walked. Brown struckout. Brian Sikorsky was inserted and Shiotani thwacked a ball into right for the game winner, his first ever sayonara knock.
For Lotte, Fernandez was 3-5 with three RBIs and is at .279. Short was 2-5 and is at .288.
For Orix, Brown was 2-5 with a walk and an RBI and is at .313. Ortiz was 1-4 and is at .249.
Pitching Lines:
Lotte:
Minchey IP 2.0 BF 15 PC 52 H 6 HR 2 K 0 BB 3 R 7 ER 7 ERA 4.63
T. Kawai IP 4.0 BF 14 PC 54 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.55
Tobe IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 13 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.41
S. Fujita (L, 0-1) IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 22 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 5.73
Sikorsky IP 0.0 BF 1 PC 3 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.36
Orix:
M. Suzuki IP 3.0 BF 18 PC 69 H 6 HR 1 K 1 BB 2 R 5 ER 4 ERA 8.33
Iwashita IP 0.2 BF 3 PC 16 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.75
Makino IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 26 H 2 HR 1 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.61
M. Doi IP 0.2 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 9.55
D. Kato IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 27 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.95
H. Ogura (W, 3-10)IP 2.0 BF 8 PC 30 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.79
E: Ortiz 2
SB: Kosaka 2, S. Omura
2B: Short
HR: Tani (13), S. Omura (4), T. Yamasaki (17), Fernandez (23)
RBI: Fernandez 3, S. Omura 3, M. Watanabe, Tani, Brown, Shiotani 3, T. Yamasaki 3
IBB: Tani (S. Fujita)
WP: M. Suzuki
GIDP: Fukuura (4-3)
LOB: Lotte 10, Orix 7
Season Series: Lotte 16, Orix 5 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:40
Attendance: 9,000
Umpires: Tamba (HP), Yoshikawa (1B), Yamamura (2B), Maeda (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri Catcher Shinnosuke Abe will have his tonsils removed on the fifth, according to Sports Nippon. He came down twice with tonsilitis during the season and after discussing it with manager Tatsunori Hara decided to have them pulled.
Hanshin Shinjiro Hiyama made a minor league rehab start Tuesday and went 1-2 with an RBI. He handled one defensive chance with no problem before being replaced after the third inning....Sales of Tigers goods at Hanshin Department Stores were more than $13 million this season, according to Hochi Sports, the highest figure in team history. Furthermore, Keio Department Stores say that their August sales this years for team momentos was up more than five fold for the same month in 2002.
Chunichi Righthander Kenta Asakura has started throwing again for the first time in three months after having elbow surgery. He is now going back to lifting his leg up near his chest like he used to after using more ofa slide step, which put more stress on his elbow. He will not pitch for the Dragons the remainder of the season.
Daiei Slugging third baseman Hiroki Kokubo is still in the U.S. rehabbing his knee. He is scheduled to return to Japan on the 13th.
Lotte According to Sankei Sports, manager Koji Yamamoto's successor next season could be Choji Murata, a 215 game winner who toiled on the hill for them from 1968-1990. A spokesman also emphasized that the team has had no contact with former skipper Bobby Valentine. Hochi Sports indicates that former Lotte slugger Michiyo Arito, who hammered 348 career homers over 18 seasons, may be a candidate for calling the team's shots on the field. There will also be changes made in the front office as the club attempts to shake off its perennial second division ways. The Hochi story also says that former Orix and Kintetsu boss Akira Ogi was approached, but that overture was rebuffed. Arito has managed Lotte before from 1987-1989. Murata is a former coach with Daiei.
Orix Pitchers Koo Dae-sung andHason Phillips have been taken off the roster due to injuries. Koo is suffering from an inflammation in his knee while Phillips has a nerve problem in his elbow....A team spokesman is quoted by Hochi Sports as saying that they are interested in signing Tsuyoshi Shinjo, who has spent the last couple of months in the minors for the Mets. "He would draw a lot of fans," the spokesman is quoted as offering. Shinjo, who is currently hitting .324 on the farm, says that he hasn't had any definite offers from Japanese teams, but seems resigned to the fact that he is unlikely to be picked up by any MLB team for next year. Now with the rumor that Orix wants to sign Todd Hollandsworth, it would seem that adding Shinjo would make that a no go. If they sign Shinjo, Orix could then use its remaining one foreigner slot for a pitcher, which it badly needs....Orix announced the release of infielder Scott Sheldon, who hit .253 with eight homers in 60 games this season, which was his second in Japan.
Today's Pictures
George Arias Slugs One of His Two Homers
