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09/19/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Hanshin Wins the Pennant After Tragedy Strikes Hoshino Family"
Hanshin Ends 18 Miserable Years by Clinching Pennant 3-2
An RBI single over the head of Hiroshima Carp rightfielder Shigeru Morikasa by Hanshin centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi off of reliever Yasushi Tsuruta with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning Monday at Koshien Stadium not only scored the winning run for a 3-2 sayonara victory against the Hiroshima Carp, but it ended Osaka's long civic nightmare of mediocrity and last place finishes, as the Tigers seized their first pennant in 18 years.
In a way, it's appropriate that Hideki Irabu would start this game, as his career was revived by signing with the Tigers and helped to take both himself and the club out of the oblivion they had been in for so many years. He went 6.1 innings of two run ball on eight hits to help set the stage for the glorious ending.
Takaya Kawauchi started for Hiroshima and one couldn't complain about his outing, as he went six innings of one run ball on just two hits and left ahead 2-1 before reliever Masayuki Hasegawa was taken over the wall by Atsushi Kataoka, another guy who was looking at obscurity before the season began, to tie the game up.
Therefore, credit for the victory went to Hanshin reliever Yuya Ando, who was mediocre in the rotation in 2002 but posted a sparkling 1.42 ERA, mostly as a setup man, this year. I'm sure he will be telling his grandchildren about this one someday.
Irabu got in hot water right off the bat, as Morikasa doubled to leftcenter to open the game and went to third on a sac bunt. However, with the infield up, first baseman Itsuki Asai grounded out to short, holding the runner, and shortstop Andy Sheets flied out to center to keep it scoreless.
Hiroshima then put men on first and second with one out in the second, but again, Irabu rose to the occasion and retired the following two men on groundouts.
He then had two outs in the third when Asai got aboard on an infield hit. Sheets crushed a forkball into the leftcenterfield stands and it was 2-0 Carp.
The Tigers then made their first viable threat of the match, as catcher Akihiro Yano walked and, one out later, was sacrificed to second. Kawauchi walked both second baseman Yoshinori Okihara and Akahoshi to bring up leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto and a chance to really damage Kawauchi. But the former Hiroshima slugger grounded out to second to extinguish the uprising.
They would finally make a visit to the plate in the fifth, as Yano singled to left and, one out later, was sacrificed to second. Okihara singled to right and Yano made like a bat out of hell for home to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Irabu got into another predicament in the seventh, as third baseman Kenjiro Nomura singled to right and was sacrificed to second. Tigers manager Senichi Hoshino dialed local to the bullpen for Jerrod Riggan, who put pinch hitter Takahiro Arai and Morikasa away on routine flyouts.
Riggan would be sweated in the eighth, though, when second baseman Takuya Kimura singled to right and Asai reached once more on an infield hit. Two outs later, Riggan walked centerfielder Koichi Ogata and the sacks were packed. Nomura, however, popped up to short and Riggan, a mid-season addition, had done his job.
Kataoka, who was contemplating retirement in the wake of last year's pathetic showing with the stick, blasted a 2-1 88mph fastball into the rightcenterfield seats as the capacity crowd went out of its mind to level it at 2-2. And they kept the pressure on. One out later, Akahoshi singled to right. Kanemoto fliedout, but Hiroshi Yagi singled to left. First baseman George Arias walked and the bases were full. Unfortunately, rightfielder Shinjiro Hiyama flew out to center and it remained two all.
Ando hit a man to commence the ninth who was subsequently advanced on a sac bunt, but the industrial league refugee induced a flyout by Morikasa and struckout Kimura to bring the curtain down on the inning.
Now it was Hanshin's time at bat and, with one away, shortstop Atsushi Fujimoto singled to center and Kataoka singled to right, Fujimoto wheeling into third. Okihara was intentionally walked and the basepaths were jammed. The infield and outfield were both playing up. Akahoshi got a first pitch curve ball on the inner half of the plate and rifled it over Morikasa's head and the ball rolled to the wall while the Tigers bench emptied to greet Fujimoto, who probably won't even be the starting shortstop next season, as he crossed home plate with the deciding tally and the 3-2 triumph, their 38th come from behind victory.
That pared Hanshin's magic number to one. When the scoreboard showed some time after that Yakult had lost, happy days were here again in Japan's second city, as thousands who had been watching in bars and on tv headed to the Dotonbori River to celebrate with a dive into the dirty water.
For manager Hoshino, the celebrationn gave him mixed feelings. Two days previous, his beloved 91 year old mother, Toshiko, died of pneumonia. Because of the importance of the game, the fiery helmsman, who had spent part of his Sunday holding his deceased mother's hand, couldn't attend the funeral, which was held the same day that Hanshin clinched the Central League flag. This isn't uncommon in Japan. Sadaharu Oh didn't attend his father's funeral so that he could play in a game while he was Yomiuri's first baseman. And in another somber note, it was the 29th anniversary of the passing of Hanshin batting instructor Koichi Tabuchi's dad.
While his players tossed Hoshino up in the air several times, head coach Ikuo Shimano held a photo of Hoshino's late wife, Misako, within view of his boss. This was the first time in 39 years that the Tigers had clinched a pennant at their home ballpark. It was just their fourth first place finish since 1950 and eighth overall, when the single league years are taken into account. Plus it set a team record for wins in a season with 81 and they reached three million in attendance that night for the first time ever.
It's interesting that Okihara would drive in the first run and figure in the winning rally. He replaced injured regular second sacker Makoto Imaoka, who is hitting better than a mind boggling .430 with runners in scoring position.
The high strung Hoshino reportedly takes blood pressure medication and he is diabetic, so it is amazing that he would want to take on reconstituting a nine that had developed into a disaster area under Katsuya Nomura. By the same token, though, Hoshino was given a lot more authority over personnel decisions than Nomura.
Kanemoto has now played in every inning of every game in his last 600 starts.
For Hiroshima, Sheets was 1-4 with two RBIs and is at .313.
For Hanshin, Arias, who described himself as "so happy, it's crazy," upon winning the pennant, was 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts and is at .271.
See related story at: Yomiuri Shimbun Article
Pitching Lines:
Hiroshima:
Kawauchi IP 6.0 BF 23 PC 92 H 2 HR 0 K 5 BB 3 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.00
Hasegawa IP 1.1 BF 6 PC 30 H 2 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 5.92
Kikuchihara IP 0.1BF 1 PC 4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.45
Sawazaki IP 0.1 BF 3 PC 13 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.76
Tsuruta (L, 2-3) IP 0.1 BF 5 PC 16 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.22
Hanshin:
Irabu IP 6.1 BF 26 PC 79 H 8 HR 1 K 1 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.64
Riggan IP 1.2 BF 8 PC 29 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.88
Ando (W, 5-2) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 21 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.42
SB: I. Asai
2B: Morikasa
HR: Sheets (23), Katoaka (11)
RBI: Sheets 2, Okihara, Akahoshi, Kataoka
IBB: Okihara
HBP: Ishihara 2 (Irabu and Ando)
PB: Ishihara
GIDP: K. Nomura (6-4-3)
LOB: Hiroshima 9, Hanshin 10
Season Series: Hiroshima 8, Hanshin 15
Game Time: 3:22
Attendance: 53,000
Umpires: Ino (HP), Watada (1B), Kasahara (2B), Kittaka (3B)
Cabrera, Matsui Homers Help Lions Get Back to Within Four of Daiei
Shortstop Kazuo Matsui homered to ignite a three run eighth inning Seibu Lions rally that provided the Tokorozawa squad with the runs it would need to come out on top Monday at Kobe Green Stadium against the Orix Blue Wave. Then then added another run in the ninth in an 8-6 victory. Orix starter Rui Makino was tagged with his fifth defeat while Lions starter Kenichi Toriyabe earned his second shiroboshi to get his side within four games of front running Daiei.
Orix drew first blood in the second, as rightfielder Ryota Aikawa doubled to leftcenter and catcher Daisuke Maeda doubled into the rightcenter alley for a 1-0 lead.
But Seibu restored equilibrium when first baseman Taketoshi Goto mashed a shot into the leftfield bleachers to make it 1-1.
Orix counterattacked, as Toriyabe issued one out walks to centerfielder Yoshitomo Tani and leftfielder Roosevelt Brown and second baseman Jose Ortiz parked one in the leftcenterfield seats to put the home team up 4-1.
First baseman Alex Cabrera responded with another longball, as he pounded a first pitch fastball that was up and over the middle of the plate deep into the leftfield stands to make it 4-2 Orix.
Then in the fifth, the Lions would pull alongside of the Blue Wave when catcher Kosuke Noda walked with one out and second baseman Hiroyuki Takagi whistled a double into the leftfield corner, Noda sprinting around the bases and to the plate. Takagi moved to third on a groundout and rightfielder Tatsuya Ozeki cashed him in with a double down the leftfield line for a 4-4 tie.
Toriyabe got through a minor jam in the seventh and had a seat on the bench to watch Matsui paste a 1-2 forkball into the rightfield seats for his 30th dinger. Ozeki walked. Leftfielder Kazuhiro Wada singled to left and Ozeki wheeled into third. With Cabrera at the plate, Orix reliever Daisuke Kato threw a wild pitch and Ozeki crossed. Cabrera struckout. One out later, centerfielder Shogo Akada doubled down the leftfield line to redeem Wada and the Lions were looking good at 7-4.
They picked up some more insurance in the ninth, as Matsui singled to right with two outs and Ozeki singled to center. Wada singled to right to forward Matsui to the plate to make it 8-4.
Graybeard sidearmer Tetsuya Shiozaki, who should seriously consider retirement, came on to close and, with one out, walked first baseman Kazuhiko Shiotani, third baseman Koichi Oshima, and Tani to load the bases. Brown flied out to right and Shiotani tagged up and crossed. Ortiz wacked a double off the leftfield wall and Oshima was back in the dugout. But that was as far as it went, since Yoshihiro Doi ambled in and got pinch hitter Tatsuya Shindo to ground out to second to put it on ice as an 8-6 victory for Seibu. That was Doi's first pro save.
For Seibu, Cabrera was 1-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .329. He has homered in his last six games, tying a PL record held by five others. He is within one of Tuffy Rhodes in the PL homer chase. Third baseman Scott McClain was 0-4 and is at .233.
For Orix, Brown was 1-3 with a walk and an RBI and is at .309. Ortiz was 2-5 with four RBIs and two strikeouts and is at .256. He has homered in four straight games.
Pitching Lines:
Seibu:
Toriyabe (W, 2-0) IP 7.0 BF 31 PC 123 H 9 HR 1 K 4 BB 2 R 4 ER 4 ERA 3.00
Mitsui IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 17 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.64
T. Shiozaki IP 0.2 BF 6 PC 28 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 3 R 2 ER 2 ERA 5.06
Doi (S, 1) IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.31
Orix:
Makino (L, 2-5) IP 7.0 BF 28 PC 109 H 6 HR 3 K 4 BB 1 R 5 ER 5 ERA 5.27
D. Kato IP 2.0 BF 12 PC 33 H 6 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 4.38
2B: Ryota Aikawa, Maeda, M.T. Goto, H. Takagi, Ozeki, Akada, Ortiz
HR: T.T. Goto (11), Ortiz (27), Cabrera (47), K. Matsui (30)
RBI: K. Matsui, Ozeki, K. Wada, Cabrera, Akada, T.T. Goto, H. Takagi, Brown, Ortiz
4, Maeda
SF: Brown
WP: Kato
HBP: T. Yamasaki (Mitsui)
GIDP: Maeda (4-6-3)
LOB: Seibu 5, Orix 9
Season Series: Seibu 18, Orix 5 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:31
Attendance: 28,000
Umpires: Yamamura (HP), Iizuka (1B), Kakigizono (2B), Nagami (3B)
Rhodes Record Homer Tightens Pennant Race Back Up
A two run homer by Kintetsu Buffaloes rightfielder Tuffy Rhodes in the seventh inning provided his team with some big breathing room in what had been a close game to shoot down the Daiei Hawks Monday at Osaka Dome 6-2. The defeat enabled the Seibu Lions to advance another game nearer to the birds of prey in the PL pennant race.
Kevin Beirne started for Kintetsu and threw six excellent innings of two run, three hit ball to nab his seventh win.
Toshiya Sugiuchi, who has been almost unbeatable lately for the Hawks, wasn't as sharp this time out, as he had trouble with control of his breaking pitches and was tattooed for all six runs on nine hits to drop his eighth.
Kintetsu appeared poised to knock Sugiuchi out early, as rightfielder Koichi Isobe singled to left with one out in the second and Sugiuchi walked both shortstop Masahiro Abe and centerfielder Naoyuki Omura to load the bases. Catcher Tetsuya Matoyama doubled down the leftfield line and Isobe and Abe scampered in. Shinji Shimoyama doubled off the rightfield wall for another, though why Matoyama didn't score, too, is a mystery. With the infield up, second baseman Eiji Mizuguchi grounded out to first, the runners holding. Rhodes came up with a chance to finish Sugiuchi off, but struckout and the inning ended with the Buffs up 3-0.
In the fifth, Daiei put the squeeze on Beirne for the first time, as catcher Kenji Johjima singled to right and, one out later, Beirne plunked DH Julio Zuleta. Yudai Deguchi walked to fill the bags. But shortstop Yusuke Torigoe threw a spanner into the works then he grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing to squash the rally.
But Daiei did return to harry Beirne in the sixth, as rightfielder Hiroshi Shibahara singled to left and, one out later, Brine nailed Iguchi. First baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka walked to pack the sacks. Johjima plastered one off the centerfield wall to bring in two on a long single and it was 3-2. The remaining runners would be stranded on a flyout and a groundout, though.
Then came the Kintetsu seventh and they signed, sealed and delivered the triumph here. Omura singled to right and went to second on a sac bunt. One out later,. Mizuguchi singled to center to redeem Omura. Rhodes golfed a low fastball into the mezzanine section in centerfield and it was 6-2. Relievers Hisashi Aikyo and Toyohiko Yoshida spun perfect innings and it was time to go home.
Beirne's dad had to be pleased. He travelled all the way from the states to see this game.
For Daiei, leftfielder Pedro Valdes was 0-4 and is at .319. Zuleta was 0-3 and is at .263.
For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 1-4 with two RBIs and is at .275.
Pitching Lines:
Daiei:
Sugiuchi (L, 9-8) IP 6.2 BF 30 PC 118 H 9 HR 1 K 6 BB 2 R 6 ER 6 ERA 3.20
Yoshitake IP 0.0 BF 1 PC 4 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.92
H.K. Watanabe IP 0.1 BF 2 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.67
Kurano IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.75
Kintetsu:
Beirne (W, 7-7) IP 6.0 BF 25 PC 98 H 3 HR 0 K 3 BB 3 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.81
Misawa IP 0.1 BF 2 PC 4 H 4 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.18
H. Koike IP 0.2 BF 2 PC 7 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.04
Aikyo IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 11 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.94
T. Yoshida IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 21 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.35
2B: Matoyama, Shimoyama, Yoshioka
HR: Rhodes (48)
RBI: Johjima 2, Shimoyama, Mizuguchi, Rhodes 2, Matoyama 2
IBB: N. Nakamura (H.K. Watanabe)
HBP: Zuleta (Beirne), Iguchi (Beirne)
GIDP: Torigoe (4-6-3)
LOB: Daiei 6, Kintetsu 6
Season Series: Daiei 13, Kintetsu 11 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:13
Attendance: 32,000
Umpires: Sato (HP), Maeda (1B), Kodera (2B), Hayashi (3B)
Dragons Rake Kubo, Giants 8-2
Boy, the Giants have been a pushover lately. They got plowed by the Chunichi Dragons Monday at Nagoya Dome, as rookie Yuya Kubo lost his spot in the rotation after being abused for six runs in four innings.
On the other hand, Chunichi Dragons starter Masafumi Hirai was in fine fettle, throwing his second consecutive complete game on an economical 103 pitches.
Chunichi gave Kubo the business right up front, as rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome put the bomp into a first pitch slider and rammed it over the centerfield fence for his 30th homer, the first Dragons player to reach that number since Leo Gomez in 1999 and the first Japanese on the team to do it since Nagoya Dome opened in 1997. So make it Chunichi 1, visitors zippo after one.
In the second, Chunichi second baseman Hiroyuki Watanabe singled to left and leftfielder Koichi Sekikawa doubled into the leftfield corner. Catcher Motonobu Tanishige singled to left to drive Watanabe in and it was 2-0 Dragons. Any further homeward incursions were inhibited when first baseman So Tsutsui flied out to right and Hirai bounced into a 6-4-3 double play.
Kubo then hit a wild patch in the third. He struck second baseman Masahiro Araki with a pitch. Fukudome walked. Centerfielder Alex Ochoa thrummed a Kubo delivery into the leftcenterfield seats and the Dragons were built for comfort at 5-0.
An inning later, Tsutsui singled to left with one away and, two batters hence, shortstop Masahiko Morino slashed a shot off the leftfield wall for an RBI double and the Dragons lead grew to 6-0.
Then the Giants struck back, but in an odd way. Taka Miura, pinch hitting for catcher Yoshinori Murata and who was converted into a position player this year, stepped up for his first at bat since forsaking toiling on the hill and lambasted an 85mph cutter into the centerfield stands for only his second pro hit, but a homer in his first AB as an infielder (note that he stayed in to play center despite playing mostly third base in the minors; go figure). In any event, it was 6-1.
Yuji Sogawa, though, was hit up in the bottom half when Fukudome singled to center, Ochoa was hit by a pitch, the runners were moved over on a sac bunt, and Sekikawa singled to right to slingshot them across the plate and make it 8-1.
Hirai retired the next nine men in a row to truck confidently into the ninth, where he was greeted by singles to left from shortstop Tomohiro Nioka and Takayuki Shimizu, Nioka hustling to third. Rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi flew out to Fukudome and Nioka tagged up and scored. Leftfielder Roberto Petagine was pitched around and walked. But Akira Etoh popped up to second and Takayuki Saito flew out to center and this one was in the bank for Chunichi by an 8-2 margin. The Giants have now lost eight in a row for the first time since 1995
Fukudome has hit six homers in last seven games.
For Yomiuri, Petagine was 1-3 with a walk and is at .323. Centerfielder Chris Latham was 0-2 with two strikeouts and is at .232.
For Chunichi, Ochoa was 1-3 with an HBP, three RBIs and is at .284.
Pitching Lines:
Yomiuri:
Kubo (L, 6-7) IP 4.0 BF 20 PC 65 H 7 HR 2 K 4 BB 1 R 6 ER 6 ERA 4.13
Sogawa IP 2.0 BF 11 PC 46 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.60
Jobe IP 2.0 BF 10 PC 44 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 8.38
Chunichi:
Hirai (W, 9-6) IP 9.0 BF 33 PC 107 H 5 HR 1 K 5 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.38
SB: M. Araki, Tsutsui, Sekikawa
2B: Sekikawa, Petagine, Morino
HR: Fukudome (30), Ochoa (17), Miura (1)
RBI: Y. Takahashi, Miura, Morino, Fukudome, Ochoa 3, Sekikawa 2, Tanishige
SF: Y. Takahashi
WP: Sogawa
HBP: M. Araki (Kubo), Ochoa (Sogawa)
GIDP: Hirai (6-4-3)
LOB: Yomiuri 4, Chunichi 9
Season Series: Yomiuri 13, Chunichi 13
Game Time: 2:56
Attendance: 39,000
Umpires: Tani (HP), Mori (2B), Uemoto (2B), K. Kobayashi (3B)
Murata, Woods Each Homer Twice to Spank Yakult 12-6
Yokohama Bay Stars corner infielders Tyrone Woods and Shuichi Murata each slugged a pair of homers Monday to give Hanshin the pennant and to thrash rookie Yuhei Takai and the Yakult Swallows 12-6.
The interesting thing about this game is that Yokohama starter Yuji Yoshimi doubled twice, which usually indicates a pretty easy afternoon for the starting pitcher if even he is jumping on the opposing hurler. That would not be the case, as Yoshimi continues to be batting practice and he couldn't stay in long enough to notch the victory due to surrendering six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4.2 innings.
Takai, well, 2.1 innings, seven earned runs, 'nuff said.
Yakult posted three runs in the first for an early advantage, as centerfielder Shida singled to center and, one out later, third baseman Akinori Iwamura singled to right. Leftfielder Alex Ramirez singled to center for an RBI. First baseman Ken Suzuki rolled to second baseman Seiichi Uchikawa, who threw the ball past shortstop Takuro Ishii and Iwamura crossed while Ramirez went to third. Catcher Atsuya Furuta flied out to center and Ramirez tagged up and scored to make it 3-0 Swallows.
In the second, Takai reached on an infield hit and Shida walked. Shortstop Shinya Miyamoto grounded to Murata at third, who stepped onthe bag and then gunned it over the head of Woods at first and Shida galloped home for a 4-0 Yakult lead.
But in the bottom of the inning, Woods leadoff by monstering one into the leftfield seats. Murata was next and unloaded a big fly into the centerfield seats. Rightfielder Hitoshi Taneda walked, as did Ishii. Catcher Takeshi Nakamura grounded to Takai, who got the force at third. Yoshimi laced a double down the rightfield line for an RBI. Centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo flied out to Ramirez and Nakamura tagged up and crossed with the tying run to make it four all.
Woods then got real gone to right in the third with one out. Murata walked. Taneda reached on an infield hit. Takai was sent to the showers in favor of Hideki Sato. The runners moved up on a groundout to first. Nakamura walked to fill the bases. Yoshimi doubled up the rightcenter gap and cleared the bases. On the relay home, Yoshimi headed for third. Furuta took the throw and then winged the ball past Iwamura into left and Yoshimi rumbled in, too, and Yokohama was in front 8-4.
But wait, there's more! Uchikawa opened the fourth with a jack into the leftfield seats. Leftfielder Takanori Suzuki singled to right. One out later, Murata socked another one into the great wide open in left and it was 11-4 Stars.
Yet, Yoshimi couldn't protect that to the satisfaction of anybody. Reserve first baseman Hirobumi Watarai commenced the fifth with a shot into the leftfeild stands. Two outs later, Furuta singled to right. Rightfielder Ryuji Miyade legged out an infield ground ball. Yoshimi walked second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi to load the bases. He also walked pinch hitter Tetsuya Iida to make it 11-6. Manager Daisuke Yamashita's patience was exhausted and he had Kazuo Fukumori spell Yoshimi. Pinch hitter Mitsuru Manaka grounded out to second and the inning was finally over.
In the bottom of the stanza, Yokohama pinch hitter Hitoshi Tamura connected off of Tadashi Honma for a homer to leftcenter and it was 12-6. Honma then struckout the side. Talk about heaven or hell.
Yakult loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh,m but that died off when Miyamoto grounded out. They then got two more men on in the eighth, but couldn't sustain it and Denny Tomori put them down in order in the ninth to wrap it up.
For Yokohama, Woods was 2-5 with two RBIs and is at .259.
For Yakult, Ramirez was 1-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .326. Yuichi Matsumoto was 1-1 in a pinch hit appearance and is at .500.
Pitching Lines:
Yakult:
Takai (L, 5-5) IP 2.1 BF 15 PC 61 H 5 HR 3 K 0 BB 3 R 7 ER 7 ERA 5.07
H. Sato IP 1.2 BF 11 PC 41 H 4 HR 2 K 0 BB 2 R 4 ER 4 ERA 4.69
T. Honma IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 37 H 1 HR 1 K 4 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 5.14
Narimoto IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.24
Ryo. Igarashi IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 18 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.52
Yokohama:
Yoshimi IP 4.2 BF 27 PC 102 H 9 HR 1 K 2 BB 4 R 6 ER 4 ERA 9.31
Fukumori IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.77
H. Yamada (W, 1-2) IP 2.0 BF 10 PC 36 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.60
T.H. Kato IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 16 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.56
Tomori IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.48
E: Furuta, Uchikawa, S. Muruta
SB: Miyade
2B: Yoshimi 2
HR: Woods 2 (34), S. Murata 2 (22), Watarai (2), Tamura (17), Uchikawa (4)
RBI: Watarai, Ramirez, K. Suzuki, Furuta, Iida, Kinjo, Uchikawa, Woods 2, S. Murata 3, Yoshimi 4, Tamura
SF: Furuta, Kinjo
HBP: Miyade (H. Yamada)
PB: K. Ono
GIDP: Furuta (4-6-3)
LOB: Yakult 13, Yokohama 5
Season Series: Yakult 17, Yokohama 8
Game Time: 3:33
Attendance: 22,000
Umpires: Tomoyose (HP), Suginaga (1B), Fukatani (2B), Yoshimoto (2B)
Mirabal Edges Minchey to Obtain 16th Win
Natahan Minchey of the Chiba Lotte Marines and Carlos Mirabal of the Nippon Ham Fighters hooked up in a bona fide pitching duel, with each man going the distance. And it would be Mirabal who prevailed by a 3-2 score even though he was touched for four more hits, though that factor was neutralized by the four double plays that Lotte hittersgrounded into.
Mirabal was put to the wall in the first, as Lotte first baseman Kazuya Fukuura doubled down the rightfield line and centerfielder Jun Inoue singled to right. But DH Koichi Hori deep sixed that opportunity when he grounded to third baseman Michihiro Ogasawara, who started the around the horn dp.
But Mirabal was shaken down in the second, as third baseman Jose Fernandez walked and leftfielder Rick Short doubled to leftcenter. Rightfielder Saburo Omura singled to center and Fernandez scurried home. Catcher Tomoya Satozaki singled to left to plate Short. The runners were sacrificed along. Shortstop Makoto Kosaka walked to jam the basepaths. But Fukuura grounded to Hiroshi Narahara at short, who flipped to second baseman Kensuke Tanaka, who turned it over to first baseman Kuniyuki Kimoto and the inning was over with Lotte holding a 2-0 lead.
Nippon Ham compensated for that in their half of the inning, as Kimoto singled to left and leftfielder Yoshinori Ueda doubled down the leftfield line. Catcher Shinji Takahashi reached on an infield hit, the other runners holding, to load the bases. Tanaka flied out to center and Kimoto tagged up and scored. Narahara singled to center to usher Ueda in and it was 2-2.
In the fifth, Ogasawara put the Fighters ahead to stay when he scalded a breaking ball into the rightfield seats to make it 3-2.
Lotte didn't muster anything else until the eighth, when Inoue walked with one down and Hori singled to left. But that was screwed up when Fernandez grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Lotte made one final push in the ninth, as, with two outs, Satozaki singled to left and pinch hitter Kiyoshi Hatsushiba doubled down the leftfield line. However, Kosaka popped out to short and Mirabal had his 16th shiroboshi.
Ogasawara tied a PL record with four straight years of .300 and 30 homers with Boomer Wells (1984-1987). It was his 150th lifetime dingdong.
For Nippon Ham, DH Angel Echevarria was 0-3 with an HBP and is at .275.
For Lotte, Fernandez was 0-3 with a walk and is at .277. Short was 1-4 and is at .302.
Pitching Lines:
Lotte:
Minchey (L, 12-8)IP 8.0 BF 34 H 131 H 7 HR 1 K 3 BB 3 R 3 ER 3 ERA 4.44
Nippon Ham:
Mirabal (W, 16-10) IP 9.0 BF 37 PC 129 H 11 HR 0 K 7 BB 3 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.69
E: M. Watanabe
SB: Narahara
2B: Fukuura, Short, Y. Ueda, Hatsushiba
HR: M. Ogasawara (30)
RBI: S. Omura, Satozaki, M. Ogasawara, Kensuke Tanaka, Narahara
SF: Kensuke Tanaka
HBP: Echevarria (Minchey)
GIDP: Hori (5-4-3), Fukuura (6-4-3), Fernandez 2 (5-4-3, 6-4-3)
LOB: Lotte 8, Nippon Ham 7
Season Series: Lotte 9, Nippon Ham 14
Game Time: 2:36
Attendance: 29,000
Umpires: Tsugawa (HP), Yamamoto (1B), Akimura (2B), Shinya (3B)
