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09/15/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Seibu Gets First Sayonara Victory; Nishi Boner Loses Fifth in a Row for Yomiuri"
Murata's Three RBIs Help Yokohama Past Yomiuri 5-3
Yomiuri's misery continued Wednesday at Yokohama Stadium, as they lost to the Yokohama Bay Stars 5-3 for their fifth loss in a row. Stars third baseman Shuichi Murata blasted a two run homer and drove in a total of three runs to pace the home team's attack. Yomiuri second baseman Toshihisa Nishi also helped the opposition out with a boneheaded baserunning error in the ninth.
Masanori Hayashi started for the kyojin and needed 81 pitches to get through four innings of three run ball before calling it a night to absorb the loss.
Domingo Guzman opsned on the mound for Yokohama and held the Giants to two runs on six hits in seven innings to acquire his sixth shiroboshi against twice as many losses.
Yokohama seized the initiatve in the first, as centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo singled to left, Seiichi Uchikawa parachuted a single near the rightfield line and, one out later, first baseman Tyrone Woods spanked an 87mph fastball o left for a single to plate Kinjo and make it 1-0.
In the third, Uchikawa singled to center, but was erased when rightfielder Hitoshi Tamura grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Woods singled to right. Murata monstered an 88mph fastball into the leftfield stands and it was 3-0 Stars.
They then tacked on two more in the fifth, as Uchikawa walked, stole second and rode Murata's two out double to leftcenter home. Shortstop Takuro Ishii pinged a shot off the leftfield fence for a 5-0 Yokohama advantage.
Yomiuri got back in it in the sixth when third baseman Takayuki Saito singled to right and Mototsugu Kawanaka doubled to center. One out later, Saito crossed on a groundout to second off the bat of Nishi. Centerfielder Chris Latham singled to right to usher Kawanaka in and make it 5-2.
They crept within two when rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi doubled to left off of reliever Denny Tomori in the eighth and, one out later, first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara singled to center to see Takahashi in and it was 5-3 Yokohama. They couldn't sustain it, though, as the next two men made out.
Eddie Gaillard mosied in from the bullpen and walked Nishi. Latham popped out to short. Nishi stole second. Saito struckout. With Kawanaka at the dish and the count 2-0, Nishi took off again and was dead meat at third to end the game. His run meant nothing and he had already precluded any force play when he thieved second, so why he tried for third is a mystery. It did stun manager Tatsunori Hara, who said it was unlike Nishi to do something so dumb.
If Murata can reach 20 homers, it will be the first time in 44 years that a Yokohama rookie has done that, the last one being former great Takeshi Kuwata, who hit 31.
For Yomiuri, leftfielder Roberto Petagine was 1-4 and is at .315. Latham was 1-2 with an RBI and is at .241.
For Yokohama, Woods was 3-4 with an RBI and is at .255.
Pitching Lines:
Yomiuri:
M. Hayashi (L, 2-2) IP 4.0 BF 19 PC 81 H 8 HR 1 K 5 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 3.49
Jobe IP 0.2 BF 4 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 10.57
Sogawa IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 23 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Bailey IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 18 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.18
Y. Maeda IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 6 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.40
Yokohama:
Guzman (W, 6-12) IP 7.0 BF 29 PC 112 H 6 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.91
Tomori IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 26 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.57
Gaillard (S, 21) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.31
E: S. Hara, Uchikawa, T. Nakamura
SB: Y. Takahashi, Nishi, T. Nakamura, Uchikawa
2B: T. Nakamura, S. Murata, T. Ishii, Kawanaka, Y. Takahashi
HR: S. Murata (19)
RBI: Latham, Kiyohara, Nishi, Woods, S. Murata 3, T. Ishii
GIDP: Tamura (4-6-3)
LOB: Yomiuri 8, Yokohama 7
Season Series: Yomiuri 18, Yokohama 10
Game Time: 3:16
Attendance: 23,000
Umpires: Kasahara (HP), Shikita (1B), Tani (2B), Mori (3B)
Ramirez Infield RBI Single Kisses Hanshin Sayonara
Jerrfod Riggan's inability to get over to cover first base with two outs in the bottom of the 11th Wednesday at Meiji Jingu Stadium meant that second baseman Shuta Tanaka had to make an off balance throw to the plate, which was late, as Yakult walked away with a lucky 3-2 victory. Riggan was embarrassed about it after the game since the mental error ended up as Hanshin sixth consecutive defeat at the birds' nest.
Kei Igawa started for the Tigers and was tattooed for 12 hits in nine innings, but Yakult could only hash out two runs against him, as he hung tough. He struckout 12.
Shohei Tachiyama started on the mound for Yakult and there was nothing to complain about during his performance, as he went seven innings of two run ball on seven hits while walking nobody. But at the end of the day, it would be reliever Ryota Igarashi who cadged the victory after he struckout the lone man he encountered.
Hanshin broke the scoreless duel in the fourth, as rightfielder Shinjiro Hiyama doubled to rightcenter with two away and first baseman George Arias singled to right to plate his teammate for a 1-0 lead.
Yakult surmounted that, though, in the sixth, as shortstop Shinya Miyamoto singled to right with one out and third baseman Akinori Iwamura went midieval on a first pitch slider and hacked it into the rightcenterfield seats to make it 2-1 Swallows. One out later, first baseman Ken Suzuki walked and catcher Atsuya Furuta singled to left. But rightfielder Ryuji Miyade grounded to short and that was that.
The Tigers then evened it with one swing of third baseman Atsushi Kataoka's bat, as he hooked one into the rightfield bleachers with one out to make it two all.
However, Yakult would pressure Igawa once more, as second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi singled to right and went to second on a sac bunt. One out later, Miyamoto outran a ground ball toward short to bring up Iwamura. But the stocky infielder fanned and it was still tied.
Yakult had two on with two outs in the eighth and stranded them and they also had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth only to see leftfielder Alex Ramirez, the guy they want up in that situation, ground right in front of the plate, catcher Akihiro Yano snatching it, stepping on the plate for the force, and throwing to first for the double play.
Finally, Yakult was able to pull it out in the 11th when Shiroishi singled to center, backup rightfielder Mitsuru Manaka singled to left and both men were sacrificed along against Yuya Ando. Miyamoto was intentionally walked. Jeff Williams was drafted to face the lefthand hitting Iwamura and struck him out. Riggan then supplanted Willams and jammed Ramirez with a slider. The ball rolled slowly into the hole betwee n first and second. Tanaka gloved it and, seeing Riggan still near the mound, made an awkward throw to the plate, where he had no chance to get Shiroishi and this one was history.
For Hanshin, Arias was 1-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .268.
For Yakult, Ramirez was 1-6 with an RBI and three strikeouts and is at .323.
Pitching Lines:
Hanshin:
Igawa IP 9.0 BF 40 PC 141 H 12 HR 1 K 12 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.90
Yoshino IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 1 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ER 0 ERA 2.57
Ando (L, 4-2) IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 17 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.53
Williams IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 4 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.55
Riggan IP 0.0 BF 1 PC 1 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.73
Yakult:
Tachiyama IP 7.0 BF 27 PC 97 H 7 HR 1 K 5 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.39
H. Ishii IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 33 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.56
Narimoto IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 9 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.68
Tatsuki Yamamoto IP 0.2 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.95
Igarashi (W, 5-3) IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.11
SB: Y. Nakamura
2B: K. Suzuki, Hiyama, S. Miyamoto
HR: Iwamura (10), Kataoka (10)
RBI: Arias, Kataoka, Iwamura 2, Ramirez,
IBB: Iwamura (Igawa) S. Miyamoto (Ando)
GIDP: Ramirez (2-3), A. Yano (5-4-3)
LOB: Hanshin 6, Yakult 14
Season Series: Hanshin 15, Yakult 11
Game Time: 3:50
Attendance: 45,000
Umpires: Ino (HP), T. Kobayashi (1B), Sasaki (2B), Kittaka (3B)
Seibu Stays Afloat on Sayonara Single 7-6
A pair of walks and an RBI infield single in the bottom of the tenth inning Wednesday at Seibu Dome by Shogo Akada kept the Lions' tenuous pennant chase alive one more day, as they were behind by two runs after seven and a half innings and then rallied to tie it in the ninth against top Chiba Lotte Marines closer Masahide Kobayashi before winning it in extra time 7-6. Lotte's six game winning streak is now a thing of the past.
Shunsuke Watanabe started for Lotte and tossed eight solid innings of two run ball on nine hits, only to not matter in the ultimate decision. Instead, Kiyoshi Toyoda won his second of the season with two innings of two hit shutout relief for Seibu after starter Mitsutaka Goto was abused for six runs, five earned, on nine hits, two of those homers.
The Lions danced out to an early lead, as shortstop Kazuo Matsui commenced the bottom of the first with a double down the rightfield line and went to third on a groundout. Leftfielder Kazuhiro Wada tapped a dribbler out between the mound and the third base line and Matsui made like a bat out of hell for the plate while the out was recorded at first to make it 1-0.
Lotte, though, snapped back with a second inning single to left from DH Koichi Hori, an RBI double from third baseman Jose Fernandez. After Fernandez went to third on a groundout, rightfielder Saburo Omura banged a single to center to invite the lead run in. Omura then stole second and went to third on a bad peg to the bag by catcher Kosuke Noda and Lotte backstop Tomoya Satozaki cashed him in with a sac fly to put Lotte up 3-1.
But Matsui got a aboard on a two out third inning infield hit, stole second and came around on a single to center by rightfielder Tatsuya Ozeki to make it 3-2 Lotte.
Satozaki found that unpleasant and jackhammered one into the leftfield stands in the fourth to restore the two run advantage at 4-2.
Next time the Lotte order took its turn, first baseman Kazuya Fukuura singled to right and, one out later, Hori went suborbital into the leftcenterfield bleachers and it was 6-2.
In the sixth, however, Lions first baseman Alex Cabrera ripped one off the glove of Fernandez for an infield hit. DH Hiroyuki Oshima blooped one to center. Cabrera, not knowing if it was going to be caught, held his ground and then went for second when it fell in, but Oshima's throw beat the slow footed former Diamond back in an unusual 8-6 play. Third baseman Hiroyuki Nakajima doubled to rightcenter. Akada redeemed both runners with a single to left to make it 6-4 Lotte.
Two innings later, Cabrera parked one in the leftfield seats and it became 6-5.
As per usual, Kobayashi, who hasn't been anywhere near as dominant this season as last, made his way to the mound and was greeted by Akada's single to center. He advanced on a sac bunt and second baseman Hiroyuki Takagi singled to right to tie it up at 6-6. The next two hitters were retired and it went into extra innings.
After Lotte missed on a two on, two out scoring chance in the top of the tenth, Wada stepped up for Seibu and leadoff with a walk, One out later, Oshima was intentionally walked for God only knows what reason. The runners moved over on Taketoshi Goto's groundout and then Akada hit a slow ground ball between first and second that Fukuura gloved and tossed to Kobayashi at first. But Akada's headfirst slide beat it and Wada strode in with the deciding tally.
This was Seibu's first sayonara win of the season in their 124th game. That's remarkable considering the talent on this club.
Matsui leads the PL with 159 hits and had knocks in seven straight at bats before walking and then striking out in the following two plate appearances.
For Lotte, Fernandez was 2-5 with an RBI and is at .280. Leftfielder Rick Short was 0-2 with three walks and is at .307. While Short has been hot lately, his OBP for the year is still only .360.
For Seibu, Cabrera is 2-5 with an RBI and is at .326.
Pitching Lines;
Lotte:
S. Watanabe IP 8.0 BF 33 PC 114 H 9 HR 1 K 5 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.35
M.H. Kobayashi (L, 0-2)IP 1.2 BF 10 PC 35 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.07
Seibu:
M. Goto IP 5.0 BF 25 PC 100 H 9 HR 2 K 2 BB 1 R 6 ER 5 ERA 3.88
Hoashi IP 2.0 BF 10 PC 35 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 3 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.10
S. Mori IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 9 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.25
Toyoda (W, 2-2) IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 35 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.02
E: Noda
SB: S. Omura, K. Matsui
2B: K. Matsui, Fernandez, M. Watanabe, H.Y. Nakajima
HR: Satozaki (7), Hori (18), Cabrera (43)
RBI: Hori 2, Fernandez, S. Omura, Satozaki 2, Ozeki, H. Wada, Cabrera, Akada 3, H. Takagi
SF: Satozaki
IBB: H.Y. Oshima (M.H. Kobayashi)
HBP: M. Watanabe (S. Mori)
LOB: Lotte 12, Seibu 7
Season Series: Lotte 8, Seibu 17
Game Time: 3:58
Attendance: 17,000
Umpires: Akimura (HP), Yanagita (1B), Yamamoto (2B), Kawaguchi (3B)
Buffaloes Shutdown Hawks by Committee 5-2
Kintetsu Buffaloes manager Masataka Nashida, who has lead all of Japanese baseball the past two seasons in pitching changes per game, utitlized six arms in this contest and ended Daiei Hawks righthander Kazumi Saito's winning streak for Saito's first loss since April 26th in a 5-2 Buffs triumph.
Katsuhiko Maekawa started for Kintetsu and had huge control problems, hitting back to back batters, first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka and catcher Kenji Johjima, in the first and walking four in the third inning alone, leading to him getting the boot in favor of Koichi Misawa after a mere 2.1 innings of work.
Saito has to be one tired puppy, but he gave it a pretty honorable shot by going 7.1 innings of four run ball on nine hits in a losing effort.
Kintetsu notched a couple off of Saito in the third, as third baseman Osamu Hoshino got aboard on an infield hit and went to second on a sac bunt. Catcher Tetsuya Matoyama singled to right, Hoshino holding at third. Rightfielder Koichi Isobe grounded out to first to get Hoshino across. Second baseman Eiji Mizuguchi walked. Leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes singled to right and it was 2-0.
But in the bottom of the frame, third baseman Munenori Kawasaki walked with one away and second baseman Tadahito Iguchi singled to center. Matsunaka and Johjima each walked, too, to force in Kawasaki. Leftfielder Pedro Valdes hopped on the bandwagon and did the stroll to first to push Iguchi in to tie it at 2-2. Misawa was substituted for Maekawa and induced a foul out and a strikeout to pin the runners in their places.
In the fifth, Daiei appeared poised for their first lead of the match when Iguchi singled to center, Matsunaka walked and they were moved over to third on, get this, a sacrifice by Johjima. You want to explain that Oh-san? Nashida opted to pitch to Valdes and he hit it right on the screws. Trouble was, it was right at Mizuguchi and he stepped on the bag for the double play. The Hawks offense then went on sabbatical until the next game.
Kintetsu then went back on top in the top of the sixth, as Saito walked both DH Hirotoshi Kitagawa and leftfielder Kenshi Kawaguchi with one out and, one out later, Hoshino singled to left to drive Kitagawa in and make it 3-2 Buffs.
And they doinked Saito again in the eighth when Rhodes walked and was forced at second on a grounder by Kitagawa. Centerfielder Naoyuki Omura singled to right. First baseman Yuji Yoshioka singled to left to pack the sacks. Hoshino singled to right and Kitagawa crossed for another run scored and a 4-2 Buffs advantage. Makoto Sato relieved Saito and got shortstop Masahiro Abe to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
In the ninth, they roughed up Saito slightly with a walk to Matoyama, a sac bunt, a single to left by pinch hitter Norihiro Nakamura and a sac fly by Rhodes to enhance the lead to 5-2. Hiroshi Takamura dispensed with Daiei in the last of the inning and did Seibu a favor.
For Daiei, Valdes was 0-3 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .312. Julio Zuleta struckout in a pinch hit appearance and is at .264.
For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 1-3 with a walk and two RBIs and is at .275.
Pitching Lines:
Kintetsu:
Maekawa IP 2.1 BF 15 PC 61 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 6 R 2 ER 2 ERA 6.81
Misawa IP 1.2 BF 6 PC 31 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.26
S. Yamamoto IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.47
Aikyo (W, 1-0) IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 21 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.67
T. Yoshida IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.89
Takamura (S, 9) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.74
Daiei:
K. Saito (L, 18-3) IP 7.1 BF 34 PC 126 H 9 HR 0 K 5 BB 5 R 4 ER 4 ERA 2.83
M. Sato IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 12 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.16
H.K. Watanabe IP 0.1 BF 3 PC 23 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.72
Kurano IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 7 H 0 HF 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.09
Season Series: Kintetsu 10, Daiei 13 1 Tie
2B: M. Kawasaki
RBI: Isobe, Rhodes 2, O. Hoshino 2, P. Valdes
SF: Rhodes
WP: Maekawa
HBP: Matsunaka (Maekawa), Johjima (Maekawa)
GIDP: M. Abe (6-4-3)
LOB: Kintetsu 10, Daiei 8
Game Time: 3:57
Attendance: 46,000
Umpires: Nagami (HP), Kakigizono (1B), Higashi (2B), Hayashi (3B)
Mirabal Blows Five Run Lead in 7-5 Fighters Loss to Orix
Nippon Ham starter Carlos Mirabal was staked to a five run first inning lead and couldn't preserve it, as the lowly Orix Blue Wave dunned him for three in the fourth and two in the fifth and one more in the sixth in what finished as a 7-5 Orix victory. Boy, are the Fighters struggling right now. Kazuya Motoyanagi started for the Kobe bunch and went 6.1 innings of five run (two earned) ball on ten hits for his third shiroboshi to help his squad take its fifth of six recent decisions.
Motoyanagi's future seemed uncertain at the outset, as centerfielder Tsutomu Ishimoto singled to center and, one out later, third baseman Michihiro Ogasawara singled to right. DH Angel Echevarria singled to right on a fastball to plate Ishimoto. Leftfielder Yoshinori Ueda rolled to first baseman Kazuhiko Shiotani, who booted it for a "timely error" to make it 2-0. First baseman Kuniyuki Kimoto doubled down the leftfield line for an RBI and catcher Shinji Takahashi flied out to center to allow Ueda to tag up and score. Second baseman Kensuke Tanaka doubled down the rightfield line and Kimoto crossed for the 5-0 advantage.
After working a perfect second and striking out the side in the third, Orix centerfielder Yoshitomo Tani and leftfielder Roosevelt Brown each singled to left with one out to create Mirabal's first big predicament in the fourth, Tani having motored to third. Shiotani flied out to right and Tani tagged up and trod the dish. Second baseman Jose Ortiz applied maximum force to a Maribal pitch and throttled it into the leftfield seats and it was 5-3 Fighters.
In the fifth, Orix catcher Takeshi Hidaka outran a slow grounder toward second. Rightfielder Ikuro Katsuragi doubled to rightcenter. Shortstop Mitsutaka Goto grounded to Kimoto, who let it escape him and both runners were homeward bound to knot it at 5-5.
And that knot would be undone by DH Takeshi Yamasaki, as he took a Mirabal slider on a return trip to the leftfield bleachers for a 6-5 Orix edge.
While Nippon Ham's offense would stall out, Orix pinch hitter Ryota Aikawa jacked an Akio Shimizu offering into the leftfield stands for some insurance at 7-5.
Hisashi Ogura required 20 pitches in the bottom of the ninth, but the Fighters went away silently in order and it was see you later.
Nippon Ham 1-6-1 this month to date.
For Orix, Brown was 1-4 and is at .308. Ortiz was 1-4 with two RBIs and is at .255.
For Nippon Ham, Echevarria was 1-4 with an RBI and is at .275.
Pitching Lines:
Orix:
Motoyanagi (W, 3-1)IP 6.1 BF 29 PC 111 H 10 HR 0 K 6 BB 0 R 5 ER 2 ERA 4.71
Iwashita IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.76
J. Hagiwara IP 1.1 BF 4 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.71
H. Ogura (S, 4) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 20 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.66
Nippon Ham:
Mirabal (L, 15-10) IP 6.2 BF 30 PC 118 H 9 HR 2 K 6 BB 1 R 6 ER 4 ERA 4.84
Tat. Kato IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 2 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Shibakusa IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 13 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.63
A. Shimizu IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 12 H 1 HR 1 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.60
E: Shiotani, Kimoto
2B: Kimoto 2, Kensuke Tanaka, Katsuragi
HR: Ortiz (24), T. Yamasaki (20), Ryota Aikawa (3)
RBI: Shiotani, Ortiz 2, T. Yamasaki, Ryota Aikawa, Echevarria, Kimoto, S. Takahashi, Kensuke Tanaka
SF: S. Takahashi, Shiotani
WP: Iwashita
GIDP: Brown (4-6-3), Kimoto (4-6-3), Tani (5-4-3)
LOB: Orix 5, Nippon Ham 5
Season Series: Orix 11, Nippon Ham 13 2 Ties
Game Time: 3:17
Attendance: 10,000
Umpires: Tachibana (HP), Nakamura (1B), Sakaemura (2B), Tsugawa (3B)
Yamamoto Tosses Another Good One to Beat Carp 6-2
Chunichi Dragons veteran lefty Masahiro Yamamoto needs only one more win to get into double figures in that category for the first time since 2001, as he went six innings of two run ball on five hits against the Hiroshima Carp in a 6-2 Dragons victory. Centerfielder Alex Ochoa and rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome each drove in two to stoke the Nagoya nine's attack.
Masayuki Hasegawa was out of this one early, as he hung on just into the fifth before being toppled and permitting five runs on seven hits.
Chunichi had two on with nobody out in the first and didn't push anyone across while Hiroshima had two on as well with two outs and didn't cause anything to happen there, either. The second was quiet, but then the Dragons revved the engines in the third. Hasegawa committed the cardinal sin, walking Yamamoto, to begin the inning and leftfielder Koichi Sekikawa singled to center. Both men were sacrificed over. Fukudome bounced one near first base and beat it out for an RBI infield hit. Third baseman Kazuyoshi Tatsunami thumped a double down the rightfield line to plate Sekikawa. Ochoa beat out an infield grounder and Fukudome registered the third tally. One out later, first baseman Masahiko Morino walked to load the bases. But second baseman Masahiro Araki grounded out to short and the burden imposed on Hasegawa stood at 3-0.
Hasegawa was hurt by the base on balls again in the fifth when he handed out freebies to Fukudome and Tatsunami and Ochoa, trying to burnish his horrible average with RISP, doubled to leftcenter to direct Fukudome to the dish. One out later, So Tsutsui, pinch hitting for Morino, grounded out against reliever Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara and Tatsunami was in to make it 5-0.
Hiroshima then laid into Yamamoto somewhat, as rightfielder Toyo Asayama homered to left and, one out later, so did centerfielder Koichi Ogata and it was 5-2 Dragons.
A possible Hiroshima uprising in the seventh was thwarted with an inning ending double play and a men on second and third, one out threat in the eighth was foiled on a popout in foul territory near third and a strikeout.
Fukudome homered to center in the top of the ninth and that was the end result, 6-2.
For Hiroshima, shortstop Andy Sheets was 1-3 with a walk and is at .315.
For Chunichi, Ochoa was 2-4 with two RBIs and is at .280.
Pitching Lines:
Chunichi:
M. Yamamoto (W, 9-4) IP 6.0 BF 23 PC 83 H 5 HR 2 K 6 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.01
Ochiai IP 0.1 BF 4 PC 10 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.89
Iwase IP 1.2 BF 6 PC 15 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.01
A.N. Otsuka IP 0.1 BF 2 PC 9 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.14
M. Valdes IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.59
Hiroshima:
Hasegawa (L, 2-8) IP 4.1 BF 24 PC 88 H 7 HR 0 K 3 BB 4 R 5 ER 5 ERA 5.99
Kikuchihara IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 8 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.70
K. Kobayashi IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 22 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Sawazaki IP 2.0 BF 8 PC 23 H 3 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.82
E: Tatsunami
2B: Ogata, Tatsunami, Ochoa, Sheets, I, Asai
HR: Fukudome (26), Ogata (26), Asayama (2)
RBI: Fukudome 2, Tatsunami, Ochoa 2, Tsutsui, Asayama, Ogata
GIDP: K. Kimura (6-4-3), Asayama (6-4-3), Ibata (4-6-3)
LOB: Chunichi 7, Hiroshima 8
Season Series: Chunichi 11, Hiroshima 14
Game Time: 3:15
Attendance: 10,000
Umpires: Tomoyose (HP), Suginaga (1B), Uemoto (2B), K. Kobayashi (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri The Giants announced that three players are going to be released after the season is over. The unlucky trio are catcher Koichiro Yoshinaga and relievers Yasuyuki Kawamoto and Matt Randel l.
Chunichi Ivan Cruz was put on waivers.
In the News
Kazuo Matsui's Dad a Complete Moron
See story at: Japan Times Article
Firms Bid Against Ripplewood for Hawks
See story at: International Herald Tribune Article
Skrmetta Undergoes Rotator Cuff Surgery
See story at: Florida Today Article
Matsui Streak Continues Despite Injury
See story at: Stamford Advocate Article
Taguchi Had No Qualms About Playing Second Base
See story at: MLB.com Article
Yoshitomo Tani Fiance Judo World Champion Again
See story at: Yomiuri Shimbun Article
Rocca Makes Case for Matsui Rookie Award
See story at: New Jersey.com Article
More on Tadano Issue
See story at: Denver Post Article
