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09/23/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Yomiuri Hits Rock Bottom in 19-2 Loss; Lions Make Up More Ground"
Giants Reach Nadir of Season in 19-2 Defeat
One can only imagine the little mushroom cloud coming out of Yomiuri owner Tsuneo Watanabe's head when he heard the result of this game. The Giants hit rock bottom in a hugely disappointing season by seeing a team record 12 runs cross the plate against them in the sixth on the way to being flattened by the Chunichi Dragons 19-2 Tuesday at Nagoya Dome. Catcher Motonobu Tanishige lead the assault with four RBIs while three others each drove in three to give starter Shinya Okamoto, who was clocked at 93mph, the victory in what will prove to be the easiest start of his career from here on in.
Rookie Hiroshi Kisanuki started for Yomiuri and his Rookie of the Year bid may be tarninshed since he was lit up again, this time for five runs on just three hits a walk and an HBP, to absorb his sixth loss.
Yomiuri actually jumped out to a two run advantage in the first, as centerfielder Takayuki Shimizu leadoff the game with a double down the rightfield line and came home on a copycat knock by shortstop Tomohiro Nioka, who then advanced to third on a groundout. Leftfielder Roberto Petagine also whizzed one into the rightfield corner and Nioka set the controls for the heart of home plate to make it 2-0. First baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara singled to center. But that was as far as the Yomiuri offense would go for the rest of the night, as third baseman Takayuki Saito lined out to second and second baseman Toshihisa Nishi grounded out to short to keep it there.
The Dragons then pummeled Kisanuki in the home portion, as shortstop Masahiko Morino singled to center and second baseman Masahiro Araki was plunked. Rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome walked to load the bases. Kisanuki threw a wild pitch and Morino hustled in. Third baseman Kazuyoshi Tatsunami flied out to right and Araki tagged up and crossed. Centerfielder Alex Ochoa went with a fastball on the outer half of the plate and launched it deep to right. Rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi went back to the wall and looked up to watch it disappear for Ochoa's first opposite field round tripper of the season and a 4-2 Dragons lead.
While Kisanuki settled down,Okamoto pitched out of a couple of two on, two out jams. But inthe fourth, the Dragons hit Kisanuki up again when Ochoa doubled to leftcenter, went to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tanishige to make it 5-2 Chunichi.
In the sixth, the Dragons turned this one into a bad joke, as Fukudome blooped a double to left off of reliever Takashi Kashiwada and, one out later, blazed home on a two bagger off the rightfield wall by Ochoa. One out later, Tanishige laced a double to leftcenter to plate Ochoa. First baseman Hiroyuki Watanabe outran a grounder toward short. Cory Bailey replaced Kashiwada. Hidenori Kuramoto, pinch hitting for Okamoto, ripped a shot off the leftfield wall for an RBI double. Morino walked to load the bases. Araki also accepted a free pass and Watanabe trotted in. Fukudome singled to left to pick up two. Tatsunami walked to reload the bases. Tsuyoshi Jobe was summoned from the bullpen and promptly threw a wild pitch and Araki crossed. Jobe walked Ochoa.
Leftfielder Takayuki Onishi doubled down the leftfield line and cleared the bases and jack the score up to 15-2. Tanishige blasted one into the leftfield bleachers for a two run homer and it was 17-2.
And they weren't done. In the seventh, Yuya Kubo walked Araki with two outs and Fukudome hooked one down the rightfield line and sprinted around to third for an RBI triple to enlarge it to 18-2 Dragons. Fukudome, though, was stranded.
Yuji Sogawa jogged in from the bullpen to open the ninth and it was fresh meat for the Nagoya crew's lineup. With two gone, pinch hitter Koichi Sekikawa singled to center, as did Kuramoto. Morino singled to right to convert Sekikawa for 19 unanswered runs and the final margin of victory. This is the first time in 28 years that the Giants have lost nine in a row.
During that 1975 skid, they went on to drop 11 in a row in a campaign that saw them finish last for the first time in club history. It was also Shigeo Nagashima's initial year as manager of the team, probably the worst handled squad of all time in either MLB or Japanese history.
The 12 runs surrendered in an inning is the most in Yomiuri annals. The previous mark was 11, which occured twice, 1960 against the Kokutetsu Swallows in the eighth inning of a game and earlier this season against Hanshin on May 31st in a farcical, error-riddled ninth inning.
The 19 runs given up in the game is a Giants team worst (third time in history and second time this season, that last time being on June 11 against yakult in a 19-11 defeat). The 17 run margin also ties a team worst.
Chunichi, which has taken its last five faceoffs, tied a league record with 11 consecutive runs scored in an inning. The 12 runs scored in theinning broke a 1950 Chunichi record of 11. The 11 straight runs scored broke the dragons team record of ten in 1950 and 1976.
Nobody broadcast this game anywhere other than in Nagoya due to the pennant race being over. Fuji was scheduled to do so, but then changed its mind when Hanshin clinched. A Giants game with Chunichi on the 15th only drew a 9.0 rating, with sponsors said likely to ask for some givebacks as a result.
Yomiuri on pace for its worst era in history, now showing a 4.53 figure (previous worst was two years ago at 4.45).
For Yomiuri, Petagine was 1-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .322. Chris Latham was 0-1 in pinch hit duty and is at .230.
For Chunichi, Ochoa, who, after hitting around .185 with runners in scoring position through August is now 7-12 in September with men at either second, third, or both. He went 3-3 with a walk and three RBIs and is at .289.
Pitching Lines:
Yomiuri:
Kisanuki (L, 9-6) IP 5.0 BF 20 PC 85 H 3 HR 1 K 1 BB 1 R 5 ER 5 ERA 3.26
Kashiwada IP 0.2 BF 6 PC 27 H 4 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 4 ER 4 ERA 5.12
Bailey IP 0.0 BF 5 PC 21 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 3 R 5 ER 5 ERA 5.58
Jobe IP 0.1 BF 4 PC 19 H 2 HR 1 K 0 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 10.80
Kubo IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 31 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.18
Sogawa IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 22 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
Chunichi:
S. Okamoto(W, 3-6) IP 6.0 BF 27 PC 86 H 9 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.59
Hisamoto IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 19 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.62
Miyagoe IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 16 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Shotsu IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 21 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 8.44
SB: Onishi
2B: T. Shimizu, Nioka, Petagine, Kisanuki, Ochoa 2, Fukudome, Tanishige, Kuramoto,
Onishi
3B: Fukudome
HR: Ochoa (18), Tanishige (13)
RBI: Nioka, Petagine, Morino, M. Araki, Fukudome 3, Tatsunami, Ochoa 3, Onishi 3,
Tanishige 4, Kuramoto
SF: Tatsunami, Tanishige
WP: Kisanuki, Jobe, Hisamoto
HBP: M. Araki (Kisanuki), T. Shimizu (S. Okamoto)
GIDP: Takayuki Saito (4-3)
LOB: Yomiuri 11, Chunichi 4
Season Series: Yomiuri 13, Chunichi 14
Game Time: 3:41
Attendance: 34,000
Umpires: K. Kobayashi (HP), Nako (1B), Mori (2B), Uemoto (3B)
Ozeki RBI Single in Eighth Beats Orix 6-5
A single to center with two on in the eighth by Seibu rightfielder Tatsuya Ozeki drove in pinch hitter Hiroyuki Oshima with the lead run and reliever Shinji Mori survived a scare in the ninth, as the Lions moved within three games in the Pacific League pennant race with a 7-6 triumph Tuesday at Kobe Green Stadium. Koji Mitsui was credited with his 11th shiroboshi while Hisashi Ogura took it on the chin for the 12th time.
Seibu shortstop Kazuo Matsui pinged a shot off the rightfield wall for a game opening triple and loped in on a single to center by Ozeki for an immediate 1-0 Lions lead. Leftfielder Kazuhiro Wada singled to right to keep the heat on Orix starter Kazuya Motoyanagi, but first baseman Alex Cabrera bounced into a 6-4-3 twin killing and third baseman Scott McClain whiffed to have it remain there.
Orix then loaded the bases in the home portion on two singles and a walk, but second baseman Jose Ortiz popped out to first and centerfielder Ikuro Katsuragi struckout to put the kabosh on that.
Orix would tie it in the second, though, as shortstop Mitsutaka Goto grounded to Hiroyuki Takagi at second with two outs, who booted it. Rightfielder Kazuhiko Shiotani walked. Third baseman Koichi Oshima singled to right to usher Goto in to make it 1-1. DH Yoshitomo Tani walked to load the bases. However, leftfielder Roosevelt Brown flew out to left to blunt any further scoring.
Ozeki then catalyzed another rally for Seibu in the third when he doubled to rightcenter with one out and Wada singled to right to chase him in and it was 2-1 Lions.
But Orix then took it to Lions starter Hsu Ming-chieh in the fourth, as Shiotani singled to right with one out and Oshima singled to center, Shiotani scurrying to third. Tani beat out a roller toward third and Shiotani busted for home. Brown singled to center to load the bases. Ortiz flied out to center and Oshima tagged up and crossed. Katsuragi walked to repack the sacks. First baseman Takeshi Yamasaski spanked a hot shot off the glove of McClain and two runs came in to put Orix head 5-2.
Again, Ozeki would lead the charge in the fifth when he singled to left with one out and Wada singled to center. One out later, McClain thumped a Motoyanagi delivery off the rightfield wall for a long single to slingshot Ozeki in and tighten it up to 5-3.
They would creep even closer, as Wada lopped a double near the line in right and was cashed on in a single to left by Cabrera to make it 5-4.
Orix manager Leon Lee says that he has lost around 17-18 pounds since he took the club over and he had his appetite further degraded in the eighth when centerfielder Shogo Akada doubled off the rightfield fence against Ogura and went to third on a groundout. Oshima, after fighting off eight pitches, pushed him across with a single to right on the ninth, a fastball, and it was deadlocked at 5-5. Oshima was then sacrificed to second. Matsui was intentionally walked, which pissed Ozeki off, especially in light of what he had already done in the game. He rammed a shot back up the middle and into centerfield as Oshima motored in for a 6-5 Lions advantage.
After going down in order in the bottom of the frame, Orix took its last licks in the ninth against Mori. Katsuragi leadoff with a single to right and Yamasaki walked. That would be all, though, as Mori retired everyone else without incident to wrap it up. Orix has dropped its last eight against the Tokorozawa contingent. The Lions are now a season best 20 games over .500.
Just a note on Hiroyuki Oshima: he reportedly slugged 86 homers in high school, which is the most in history, before being drafted on the third round.
Ozeki was sent down to the minors for a time due to his anemic .240 first half batting average. He has returned with a vengeance, however, hitting at a torrid .370 clip since being recalled.
For Orix, Brown was 1-4 with a walk and is at .309. Ortiz was 1-4 with an RBI and is at .256.
For Seibu, Cabrera was 1-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .328. His homer streak ended at six. McClain was 1-4 with a walk, an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .233.
Pitching Lines:
Seibu:
Hsu IP 3.2 BF 25 PC 93 H 9 HR 0 K 3 BB 4 R 5 ER 4 ERA 5.35
Mitsui (W, 11-5) IP 3.1 BF 13 PC 53 H 4 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.47
Hoashi IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.03
S. Mori (S, 1) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 16 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.15
Orix:
Motoyanagi IP 6.2 BF 30 PC 131 H 10 HR 0 K 6 BB 1 R 4 ER 4 ERA 4.77
H. Ogura (L, 4-12) IP 2.1 BF 13 PC 49 H 4 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.72
E: Ozeki, H. Takagi
2B: Ozeki, T. Yamasaki, K. Wada, Akada
3B: K. Matsui
RBI: Ozeki 2, K. Wada, Cabrera, McClain, H.Y. Oshima, K. Oshima, Tani, Ortiz, T.
Yamasaki 2,
SF: Ortiz
IBB: K. Matsui (H. Ogura)
WP: Motoyanagi
GIDP: Cabrera (6-4-3)
LOB: Seibu 10, Orix 13
Season Series: Seibu 19, Orix 5 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:54
Attendance: 19,000
Umpires: Nagami (HP), Kakigizono (1B), Yoshikawa (2B), Iizuka (3B)
Another Bit of Hawks Lead Sacrificed Away 7-6
Daiei Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh believes that his side lost this game due to a bonehead play by rightfielder Hiroshi Shibahara. Oh's coaches and Shibahara himself bagged to disagree, but whatever the case, a sacrifice fly near the line in right in the bottom of the ninth with one out and two on provided a 7-6 sayonara victory to the Kintetsu Buffaloes Tuesday at Osaka Dome and eroded the lead enjoyed by the birds of prey in the Pacific League standings by another game.
Brandon Knight started for Daiei and he had major control problems, walking five and hitting a batter, which helped the Buffs to score three runs off of him during his five inning stint, though he ultimately didn't figure in the decision. Reliever Takayuki Shinohara was instead the one who was hung with the loss.
Jeremy Powell started for Kintetsu and tossed a beauty, going seven innings of two run (one earned) ball on just two hits. Unfortunately, his bullpen stunk it up and the herd was lucky to edge into a triumph.
Kintetsu threatened in the first, as centerfielder Naoyuki Omura hit a ground ball to third baseman Munenori Kawasaki, who threw it away to allow Omura to reach second. Omura was then advanced to third on a sac bunt. One out later, leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes stepped in and catcher Kenji Johjima signaled for four wide ones and, amid fierce booing for avoiding the slugger, the former Cub took his base. But first baseman Yuji Yoshioka struckout, so the tactic worked.
Then in the third, Omura singled to open the stanza and went to second on a sacrifice. After moving to third, Rhodes came up again and was intentionally walked again, the booing being even louder this time. And Yoshioka fanned once more to kill this opportunity off.
Knight struckout the side in the fourth. The Hawks then went on the offensive in the fifth, as first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka walked and Johjima singled to right. The runners moved up on a passed ball. Leftfielder Pedro Valdes grounded out to short and
Matsunaka crossed. DH Julio Zuleta walked. Yudai Deguchi doubled to rightcenter to plate Johjima and it was 2-0 Hawks.
Kintetsu retorted in the bottom half with a two out rope off the centerfield wall that went for a triple by Kenshi Kawaguchi with two outs and Rhodes was intentionally walked, infuriating the Buffs fans even more. This time, Yoshioka scorched a shot into the leftfield corner to redeem Kawaguchi to make it 2-1 Hawks.
In the sixth, the Buffs went out to their first lead of the ballgame when third baseman Osamu Hoshino singled to right and shortstop Masahiro Abe walked. Shuji Yoshida entered from the bullpen. The runners were advanced on a sac bunt. Omura singled to left to send Hoshino across. Second baseman Eiji Mizuguchi singled to center and Abe was home. Hirotoshi Kitagawa singled to right for a 4-2 Kintetsu advantage. Oh finally allowed his pitcher to confront Rhodes and got him to groundout to first, though that moved the runners up. Makoto Sato replaced Yoshida. Yoshioka walked to load the bases. Rightfielder Koichi Isobe doubled down the leftfield line for two RBIs and it was 6-2 Kintetsu.
Powell worked a perfect seventh and sat down expecting the relief corps to put it in the refrigerator. That wouldn't happen. In the eighth, Deguchi clobbered one into the leftfield bleachers to make it 6-3.
An inning later, closer Hiroshi Takamura got the first two outs, but walked Johjima, who stole second. Valdes singled to center to bring Johjima in. Hisashi Aikyo relieved Takamura. Zuleta picked something from column A and served it to the folks in the leftfield stands and it was tied up at 6-6.
That comeback would be wasted, however, as Shinohara was done up for a leadoff single to right. Hoshino laid down what was supposed to be a sac bunt, but Johjima went for the force at second and was wide of the bag, Isobe going to third before the ball was retrieved. One out later, Matoyama lifted a flay ball to medium right right at the line. Shibahara felt he had to catch it since it was so close and he gunned an offbalance throw to the plate. The ball and the runner arrived at almost the same time, but it skidded on Johjima and he couldn't glove it, so Matoyama was safe and the game was over.
While talking to reporters in the clubhouse, Oh excoriated Shibahara for not using his head and knowing that he should have let a foul ball drop. Oh was contradicted, though, by coach Shimada, who said that Shibahara made the right play and that Matoyama would have been a dead duck had the peg been accurate. I think Oh is feeling the tension of the pennant race.
As to why Rhodes was given a trio of intentional passes, Oh said that Rhodes hits the team hard, so he was they guy they didn't want to get beat by.
The sayonara defeat was the third time this year that Daiei has been so victimized. They are 4-3 in games decided on walkoffs. In one run games, they are 14-13.
For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 0-2 with three walks and is at .274.
For Daiei, Valdes was 1-4 with two RBIs and is at .318. Zuleta was 1-3 with a walk and two RBIs and is at .269.
Pitching Lines:
Daiei:
Knight IP 5.0 BF 26 PC 91 H 4 HR 0 K 5 BB 5 R 3 ER 3 ERA 5.23
S. Yoshida IP 0.2 BF 5 PC 12 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 3 ER 3 ERA 4.68
M. Sato IP 1.1 BF 7 PC 28 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.28
Yoshitake IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.83
Shinohara (L, 1-3) IP 0.2 BF 4 PC 6 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 0 ERA 1.82
Kintetsu:
Powell IP 7.0 BF 25 PC 97 H 2 HR 0 K 4 BB 2 R 2 ER 1 ERA 4.23
T. Yoshida IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 18 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.47
Takamura IP 0.2 BF 4 PC 19 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.89
Aikyo (W, 2-0) IP 0.1 BF 2 PC 4 H 1 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.20
E: M. Kawasaki, Johjima, Torigoe
SB: Johjima
2B: Deguchi, Yoshioka, Isobe
3B: K. Kawaguchi
HR: Deguchi (3), Zuleta (13)
RBI: P. Valdes 2, Zuleta 2, Deguchi 2, N. Omura, Mizuguchi, H. Kitagawa, Yoshioka,
Isobe 2, Matoyama
SF: Matoyama
IBB: Rhodes 3 (Knight)
WP: Knight
HBP: Isobe (Knight)
PB: Matoyama
LOB: Daiei 2, Kintetsu 12
Season Series: Daiei 13, Kintetsu 12 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:23
Attendance: 17,000
Umpires: Hayashi (HP), Kodera (1B), Higashi (2B), Maeda (3B)
Igawa, Three Homers Another Winner for Hanshin 4-1
The Hanshin Tigers utilized three homers to back an outstanding three hit complete game Tuesday at Koshien Stadium in the shortest CL tilt of the year in the Osaka nine's 4-1 victory over the Hiroshima Carp.
Ken Takahashi started for Hiroshima and didn't perform up to manager Koji Yamamoto's hopes, as he was charged with all four runs on eight hits to fall to 9-8.
Both moundsmen had this one well in hand until the top of the third, when Toyo Asayama put the bomp into an Igawa delivery and arched it into the leftfield seats for a 1-0 Hiroshima lead.
But in the fourth, Hanshin first baseman George Arias blowed up a two out 88mph fastball real good for free and the folks in the rear of the leftfield seats were yelling the Japanese equivalent of "incoming!" to even it at 1-1.
Takahashi kept the screws down on the Tigers until the sixth, when centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi walked and leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto singled to right, Akahoshi putting it in fourth for third. Arias grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, Akahoshi scoring on the play. Second baseman Kentaro Sekimoto then cranked an 86mph fastball on a line into the leftfield stands to widen the Tigers hegemony to 3-1. That was his first longball since June 13th.
Rightfielder Kenichiro Hayakawa capped off the Tigers night when he punished a hanging breaking ball into the leftcenterfield seats to make it 4-1.
Igawa, who was consistently clocked in the high 80s, didn't allow another hit after the fourth and when Carp second baseman Takuya Kimura grounded to short with two outs in the ninth, it was "game setto." He is endeavoring to become the first Hanshin hurler to lead the league in wins since Shigeru Kobayashi in 1979.
With the win, the Tigers set a new single season home victories standard with their 45th.
Arias is going to return to the states in the next few days to visit his newborn son Nicholas, so manager Senichi Hoshino had been having him hit first for a couple of games to get him as many at bats as possible so that he might win the CL homer title. But when the request to go back to Arizona came up, he slotted Arias into the four hole for the first time this season in this one since that was tantamount to conceding the homer crown to either Tyrone Woods or Alex Ramirez. That didn't, though, keep Hoshino from chiding the Yakult pitching staff after Woods took them over the wall twice Tuesday. I'm sure manager Tsutomu Wakamatsu would have answered with something like, "omae ni kankei nain da (it's none of your business)." It could be that what drove this gesture is that Hoshino might be feeling some residual guilt for the way he handled Arias at the end of last season when talk emerged of letting him go due to his low batting average and high strikeout numbers and the desire to replace him with Norihiro Nakamura (a move which one can be sure now that Hanshin is glad it didn't make now).
For Hiroshima, shortstop Andy Sheets was 2-3 and is at .316.
For Hanshin, Arias was 1-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .271 with 100 RBIs. He is the first Hanshin player to the century mark in that category since Randy Bass in 1986. He is the sixth Tiger in history to pull that off and it has been done ten times total.
Pitching Lines:
Hiroshima:
K. Takahashi (L, 9-8) IP 7.0 BF 29 PC 103 H 8 HR 3 K 4 BB 1 R 4 ER 4 ERA 3.66
K. Kobayashi IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 18 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Hanshin:
Igawa (W, 17-5) IP 9.0 BF 29 PC 102 H 3 HR 1 K 4 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.81
E: Fujimoto
HR: Asayama (3), Arias (35), Sekimoto (3), Hayakawa (3)
RBI: Asayama, Arias, Sekimoto, Hayakawa
GIDP: T. Arai (4-6-3), T. Maeda (4-6-3), Arias (5-4-3)
LOB: Hiroshima 1, Hanshin 4
Season Series: Hiroshima 8, Hanshin 16
Game Time: 2:12
Attendance: 47,000
Umpires: Kittaka (HP), Manabe (1B), Watada (2B), Kasahara (3B)
Nine Run Lotte Seventh Bakes Nippon Ham 16-4
When you look at the final score, you would think that the Chiba Lotte Marines were easily in control from the outset, but the fact is that they were behind 4-3 through six until staging a nine run binge in the seventh and three more in the eighth to turn it into a laugher in what became a 16-4 victory over the Nippon Ham Fighters Tuesday at Tokyo Dome. Fighters starter Hayato Nakamura is now still winless in 2003 upon surrendering five runs in six innings on eight hits.
Shunsuke Watanabe started for Lotte and got behind 4-0 through two, but was touched for only two hits from then on and went all the way. I don't know where the submariner has gotten it, but after more than a year of steadily failing in a starting role, he has really found himself in the second half of this campaign to improve to 7-3.
In that second, Fighters first baseman Kuniyuki Kimoto singled to left with one down and Yoshinori Ueda walked. Catcher Shinji Takahashi went up, up and away to left for a 3-0 lead. Second baseman Kensuke Tanaka was nailed by a Watanabe offering. Shortstop
Makoto Kaneko walked. Centerfielder Tsutomu Ishimoto hit a slow ground ball up the first base line. Fukuura charged it and then let the ball get through him for an error while Tanaka never stopped running until he crossed the plate and it was 4-0 on the infield hit and the error. Rightfielder Tomochika Tsuboi grounded toward short and beat that out, so the Tanaka run ended up being earned. Third baseman Michihiro Ogasawara walked to load the bases. Angel Echevarria dug in for the most important at bat of the game for Nippon Ham, as he could have sent Watanabe to the showers with a big knock. But he grounded to third and it was still 4-0.
Lotte then took a bite out of that advantage in the third when rightfielder Saburo Omura doubled down the leftfield line and went to third on a groundout. One out later, speedster Makoto Kosaka outran a dribbler up the first base line and Omura crossed. Kosaka stole second. Fukuura singled to center and Kosaka wheeled in to make it 4-2 Fighters.
In the sixth, Fukuura steamed a shot into the rightfield bleachers and it was 4-3 Nippon Ham.
Next time up, Lotte leveled things when leftfielder Rick Short nested one in the leftfield seats for a 4-4 tie. Omura singled to left. Fighters manager Trey Hillman went to the pen for Naoyuki Tateishi. One out later, Kiyoshi Hatsushiba doubled down the leftfield line. Kosaka walked to pack the sacks. Akio Shimizu was waved in and he walked Fukuura to force Omura in with the lead run. Hiroshi Shibakusa spelled Shimizu. Yukihiko Sato crashed a shot off the centerfield wall for two RBIs. DH Koichi Hori sinngled to center for another. Third baseman Jose Fernandez singled to right to plate a run. Short, who started the inning, reached on an infield hit to reload the bases. Omura doubled off the leftfield wall and neatened up the basepaths since everyone was back in the dugout via home plate sitting on a 12-4 advantage.
Chris Seelbach was then buffeted in the eighth, as Kazuya Harai walked and Kosaka doubled down the rightfield line. They galloped in on a double to leftcenter by Fukuura. Two outs later, Fernandez drilled a shot off of Tanaka's glove and Fukuura headed home to make it 15-4 Lotte.
In the ninth and with two outs, Harai tripled up the rightcenter gap and Kosaka doubled into the rightfield corner to recall Harai and it was 16-4. Watanabe disposed of all three men he saw in the ninth to pocket the W.
Five players had three hits or more for Lotte. The 19 hits they amassed is a season high. Lotte has won six series in a row and will be looking to grasp a seventh tomorrow.
For Nippon Ham, Echevarria was 0-4 and is at .273.
For Lotte, Fernandez was 3-5 with two RBIs and is at .281. Short was 3-5 with an RBI and is at .306.
Pitching Lines:
Lotte:
S. Watanabe (W, 7-3) IP 9.0 BF 38 PC 155 H 6 HR 1 K 6 BB 5 R 4 ER 3 ERA 4.24
Nippon Ham:
H. Nakamura (L, 0-3) IP 6.0 BF 25 PC 92 H 8 HR 2 K 0 BB 0 R 5 ER 5 ERA 6.98
Tateishi IP 0.1 BF 3 PC 19 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.42
A. Shimizu IP 0.0 BF 1 PC 4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.04
Shibakusa IP 0.2 BF 6 PC 22 H 5 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 4 ER 2 ERA 4.08
Seelbach IP 1.0 BF 7 PC 20 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 5.61
Tat. Kato IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 17 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.31
E: Fukuura, Fernandez, Kaneko
SB: Y. Ueda, Kosaka
2B: S. Omura 2, Short, Hatsushiba, Y. Sato, Kosaka 2, Fukuura
3B: Harai
HR: S. Takahashi (12), Fukuura (15), Short (12)
RBI: Kosaka 2, Fukuura 5, Y. Sato 2, Hori, Fernandez 2, Short, S. Omura, S.
Takahashi 3
HBP: Kensuke Tanaka (S. Watanabe)
LOB: Lotte 4, Nippon Ham 7
Season Series: Lotte 10, Nippon Ham 14
Game Time: 3:16
Attendance: 12,000
Umpires: Nakamura (HP), Yanagita (1B0, Shinya (2B), Yamamoto (3B)
