[Previous entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Kazuo Matsui Reportedly Picks Tellem as His Agent"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Cooperstown Confidential; October 2, 2003; by Bruce Markusen"]
10/06/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Ishikawa Masters Giants Again; Look at Mr. Lee"
Ishikawa Handcuffs Giants 5-1
In the only game of the day, little Yakult Swallows southpaw Masanori Ishikawa racked up his fifth victory of the season just against the Yomiuri Giants and tenth of the year overall with a complete game three hitter Thursday at Meiji Jingu Stadium in a 5-1 triumph. He is the first Swallows lefty to reach double figures in his first two pro seasons since 1952.
While Ishikawa had a perfect game through four, Yakult was having just as much trouble with Yomiuri starter Hiroshi Kisanuki until the bottom of that fourth, when shortstop Shinya Miyamoto leadoff with a single to right and, one out later, leftfielder Alex Ramirez singled to center. Following another out, catcher Atsuya Furuta lumbered his way to an infield hit to load the bases. But rightfielder Ryuji Miyade struckout and it remained scoreless.
Ishikawa's perfecto bid ended when leftfielder Roberto Petagine kicked off the fifth with a walk, but he then retired the next three men and it was 0-0 through five complete.
Ishikawa finally made a mistake with two outs in the sixth, as he threw a sinker that didn't and shortstop Tomohiro Nioka mashed it well beyond the leftfield wall for his 29th homer and a 1-0 Giants advantage.
Kisanuki, though, would collapse in the home portion to hand Ishikawa the shiroboshi. With one out, Ramirez singled to right, One out later, Furuta walked. Miyade singled to right to plate Ramirez with the tying run. Second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi singled to right to bring in the lead tally. Ishikawa singled to center and Miyade sped home. Centerfielder Mitsuru Manaka singled to left to usher Shiroishi in. Miyamoto singled to center and Ishikawa crossed to make it 5-1 and knock Kisanuki out of the match.
Yomiuri managed just two singles over the final three frames and when rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi flew out to his opposite number, it was "game setto."
As a whole, Ishikawa was the fifth Swallows hurler to register at least ten wins in each of his intial pair of pro campaigns. And that was depsite the fact that this was his first victory since September 4th. And even better, Yomiuri may finish in the second division for the first time in six years becuase of Ishikawa's dazzling outing.
For Yakult, Ramirez was 2-4 and is at .326.
For Yomiuri, Petagine was 0-2 with a walk and is at .323.
Pitching Lines:
Yomiuri:
Kisanuki (L, 10-7) IP 5.2 BF 29 PC 108 H 11 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 5 ER 5 ERA 3.34
Okajima IP 1.1 BF 4 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.89
J. Kawahara IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 13 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 9.41
Yakult:
Masanori Ishikawa (W, 10-11) IP 9.0 BF 30 PC 94 H 3 HR 1 K 7 BB 1 R 1 ER 1
ERA 3.99
HR: Nioka (29)
RBI: Nioka, Manaka, S. Miyamoto, Miyade, Shiroishi, Masanori Ishikawa
WP: Kisanuki
GIPD: Nishi (6-4-3)
LOB: Yomiuri 2, Yakult 8
Season Series: Yomiuri 13, Yakult 13 1 Tie
Game Time: 2:22
Attendance: 18,000
Umpires: Uemoto (HP), Honda (1B), Shikita (2B), Watada (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri According to Sankei Sports, the Giants submitted an offer to Tsuyoshi Shinjo in late August, presumably with the permission of the New York Mets. Shinjo is said to be in Europe right now on a vacation and will return to Japan sometime around October 10th...Sources inside the Giants have told Sankei that they will be releasing relievers Yasuyuki Kawamoto, 36, and Junya Sakai, 22, catcher Koichiro Yoshinaga, 34, outfielder Shinobu Takano, 29 and at least two others....Well, the Giants are suffering another public relations hiccup in the wake of the Tatsunori Hara firing. Hara had asked that infielder Masahiro Kawai retire and become a coach with the club, but now that Hara is gone, that offer is apparently no longer valid and now Kawai wants to withdraw his intent to retire. He is also feels like he got screwed around by the team's front office in all this....Rookie righthander Hiroshi Kisanuki is tentatively penciled in to start for Japan in their first game in an upcoming olympic qualifying tournament.
Yakult The Swallows front office has reportedly decided to sign Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Billy Martin. Primarily a first baseman-DH, The 27 year old righthand hitting Texas native compiled a .346 average in 179 at bats and slugged 12 homers at AAA Tucson this past season. He was originally drafted by the Mets in 1998 in the 34th round. Martin is 6'2" and 213 pounds.
Hanshin Second baseman Makoto Imaoka has been hitting off of a tee and is expected to take regular batting practice starting Saturday and will particiapte in a simulated game on Sunday....Outfielder Osamu Hamanaka is supposed to take batting practice with Hanshin's minor league outfit on Sunday....The Tigers minor league club won the Western League flag, their third straight crown.
Chunichi Reliever Marc Valdes' future in Nagoya is uncertain, according to Sankei Sports, The team's front office will leave it up to whoever the next manager is as to whether Valdes is back for 2004....Martin Vargas won the Western League ERA title with a 2.13 mark. Shinichiro Koyama was tops in save points with 11.
Hiroshima Infielder Kenjiro Nomura says that he would like to come back next season. However, he is injury prone and it is questionable if he will get enough playing time to crack another 152 hits for 2000 in his career with the much younger Kenta Kurihara and Takahiro Arai in front of him at third. Kurihara, in fact, just won his second minor league RBI and homer titles...Righthander Ken Takahashi has resumed throwing again after going on the shelf in mid-September due to shoulder discomfort.
Yokohama Infielder Takahiro Saeki isn't in the Yokohama Bay Stars plans for next year, so they hope to move him to Chunichi for disappointing hurler Takashi Ogasawara.
Seibu With the pennant race being over, the Lions, according to Hochi Sports, are going to shut ace Daisuke Matsuzaka down for the remainder of the schedule. A pitching coach for the team says that the righthander won't be allowed to pitch "even if he asks." In addition, they will keep him on the bench even if it costs him the ERA title. Instead, Chikara Onodera will make his first pro start.
Daiei Manager Sadaharu Oh and 34 others went to the Hanshin game Thursday, among those being Hawks players. When Oh was to face the Chunichi Dragons in 1999, him and his party at one game was 44 strong. The Fukuoka nine won the Japan Series that season. When they were to face the Giants in 2000, Oh didn't send anyone and he lost. So now it's back to what worked the first time....Oh also visited the grave of his late wife Kyoko Thursday as well to tell her his team won the pennant....Pitcher Shinsuke Ogura had elbow ligament surgery Thursday at a Gumma Prefecture hospital and will be hospitalized for another two weeks....Daiei will celebrate its pennant win with a parade on November 2nd in Fukuoka. It will start at 2:30 and will run for about two hours along the mile long course with 70 players and team officials riding in open cars. They will then hold a fan oriented event at Fukuoka Dome after the festivities.
Kintetsu Centerfielder Naoyuki Omura will use his free agent rights to seek offers from other teams. Omura is having a career year with a .300 average, 94 runs scored and 27 steals. He is making about $500,000 this season after absorbing a $60,000 paycut following a mediocre 2002 campaign....The Buffs are said to be seeking a foreign pitcher to become their closer. Nobody, since the departure of Akinori Otsuka, has shown the requisite consistency in that role this season. Right now, by default, Hiroshi Takamura is filling that role.
Nippon Ham In a staff meeting Thursday, manager Trey Hillman indicated that strengthening their pitching situation will be a big priority next season.
Orix A team official reiterated the club's desire to have Roosevelt Brown and Jose Ortiz back in the fold for next season. However, new GM Nakamura is reportedly interested in both So Taguchi and Tsuyoshi Shinjo to bolster the Blue Wave outfield defense. He also left open the possibility of making Taguchi a future managerial candidate. Taguchi, though, wants to spend at least one more season in an MLB organization.
Miscellaneous Samsung Lions slugger Seung-yeop Lee has finally done it, crushing a 1-1 85mph fastball on the outer half of the plate from Lotte Giants hurler Min Jeon over the centerfield wall more than 400 feet away for his 56th homer of the season in the last game of the schedule to set a new Asian record, topping Sadaharu Oh, Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera's 55. Lee will participate in the upcoming olympic qualifying tournament for the Korean squad and then head off to MLB. The five time homer champ has retained the services of SFX for representation, who claim that the Dodgers, Mets and eight other MLB teams are interested. A Korean media report had that as more like three, L.A., the Yankees and the Braves.
