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10/09/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Otsuka Holds Off Late Yokohama Charge; The Turk Comes Calling"
Otsuka Shuts Down Yokohama Comeback in 6-5 Dragons Victory
The Chunichi Dragons went out to a 4-0 lead Monday against the Yokohama Bay Stars at Yokohama Stadium and then were up 6-3, but the Stars kept coming until closer Akinori Otsuka pitched out of a bases loaded, two out jam in the eighth and then put Yokohama away in the ninth for a 6-5 victory by the Nagoya outfit.
Shinya Okamoto started for Chunichi and had tossed five shutout innings, but then couldn't get anyone out in the sixth and had to be saved by reliever Yuichi Hisamoto, enabling Okamoto to eventually emerge with his fourth win.
Shinya Goto started for Yokohama and was touched for four runs on eight hits in six innings to rack up his third consecutive loss.
The Dragons powered their way to a 2-0 lead in the third, as first baseman Kazuki Inoue singled to center with one out and went to second on a sac bunt. Shortstop Masahiko Morino then hammered a fastball into the rightfield seats for his career high sixth dinger and the two run advantage.
They doubled their pleasure in the fifth when Inoue seared one into the rightcenterfield alley for a two bagger. One out later, Morino walked. Second baseman Masahiro Araki singled to left and the bases were loaded. Rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome flied out to right and Inoue tagged up and crossed. Third baseman Kazuyoshi Tatsunami walked to reload the bases. Goto unleashed a wild pitch and Morino hustled in to make it 4-0 Dragons.
Yokohama then created its first major uprising in the home portion, as first baseman Tyrone Woods singled to center and rightfielder Katsuaki Furuki got aboard on an error by Inoue. One out later, third baseman Yuki Yoshimura walked to pack the sacks. But catcher Masakuni Odajima grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and Okamoto survived.
That wouldn't be the case in the sixth. Ryoji Aikawa, pinch hitting for Goto, singled to left and shortstop Takuro Ishii singled to right. Second baseman Hitoshi Taneda laced a shot into the rightcenter and both runners sprinted around and it was 4-2. Hisamoto was summoned from the bullpen and retired the next three men in order to limit the damage.
In the seventh, Morino singled to right and went to second on a wild pitch. Fukudome flew to deep left in foul territory. Morino tagged up and blazed for third, sliding in safely. Yuji Hata then threw a wild pitch and Morino was in to make it 5-2 Dragons.
But with two outs in the seventh, Odajima singled to left and then galloped to the plate on a liner up the rightcenter gap by Hitoshi Tamura, pinch hitting for Hata, to shrink the deficit to 5-3 Chunichi.
The Dragons got it back, though, in the eighth when centerfielder Alex Ochoa walked and went to second on a groundout. Catcher Motonobu Tanishige singled to center to chase Ochoa in to make it 6-3.
Chunichi reliever Hitoki Iwase ran into a major problem in the bottom of the frame, as Woods singled to right and Furuki socked a pitch into the rightfield bleachers and it was a one run ballgame at 6-5. Centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo singled to center and Yoshimura singled to left. Otsuka jogged in from the pen and struckout pinch hitter Hirofumi Ogawa to end the inning. He issued a one out walk in the ninth, but two flyouts later, this one was history.
For Yokohama, Woods was 3-4 and is at .272.
For Chunichi, Ochoa was 1-3 with a walk and is at .288.
Pitching Lines:
Chunichi:
S. Okamoto (W, 4-6) IP 5.0 BF 20 PC 67 H 5 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.34
Hisamoto IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 9 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.27
Iwase IP 1.2 BF 11 PC 31 H 6 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 3 ER 3 ERA 1.41
A.N. Otsuka (S, 17) IP 1.1 BF 5 PC 21 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.09
Yokohama:
S. Goto (L, 0-3)IP 6.0 BF 27 PC 88 H 8 HR 1 K 1 BB 3 R 4 ER 4 ERA 7.80
Y. Hata IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 15 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 7.13
Tazaki IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 42 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.06
E: K. Inoue, Y. Yoshimura
2B: K. Inoue, Taneda, Tamura
HR: Morino (6), K.A. Furuki (22)
RBI: Morino 2, Fukudome, Tanishige, Taneda, K.A. Furuki 2, Tamura
SF: Fukudome
WP: S. Goto, S. Okamoto, Y. Hata, Tazaki
GIDP: Fukudome (4-6-3), T. Onishi (4-6-3), Kinjo (6-3), Odajima (4-6-3)
LOB: Chunichi 7, Yokohama 7
Season Series: Chunichi 17, Yokohama 9 1 Tie
Game Time: 3:08
Attendance: 10,000
Umpires: Sasaki (HP), Nako (1B), Mori (2B), Kasahara (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri The Giants have released five more players. They are pitchers Kazutaka Nishiyama, 34, Masami Ishikawa, 22, and Hiroya Tani, 26, infielders Kazuaki Miyazaki, 28, and Hironobui Yamashita, 21. Nishyama is expected to retire, but the others will seek positions with other NPB organizations.
Hanshin The team announced the release of six players. They are pitchers Kazuya Shibata, Koji Okamoto and Kazutaka Kajihara, catcher Ryo Yoshimoto, infielder Satoshi Tanaka, and outfielder Naoki Sogabe....Second baseman Makoto Imaoka took part in a simulated game Monday and did well at the plate. Moreover, his shoulder is healing up, so he is likely to start for the Tigers in the Japan Series.
Yokohama A trade that would send relievers Kazuo Fukumori and Eiji Yano to Kintetsu for pitchers Ken Kadokura and Shinji Udaka is in the works and could be completed sometime this week. Deck chairs, Titanic, blah blah blah.
Daiei Manager Sadaharu Oh plans to start Noriyoshi Omichi at DH against Hanshin's lefthanded starters and perhaps even play in the field for the games at Koshien Stadium, when the pitchers have to hit. Omichi batted .281 in 117 games with 51 RBIs this season so far....Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi's ankle is feeling better and he took part in the team's workout Monday. He plans to begin taking regular batting practice starting Friday.
Kintetsu A decision will be made by the end of this month as to whether third baseman Norihiro Nakamura will have knee surgery.
Nippon Ham The Fighters will be moving to Sapporo beginning next season, but they will return to Tokyo Dome for a total of 12 games as the home team in 2004. They will play four of the other five teams in the Pacific League in a three game series each. The exception is Seibu, who they couldn't come to agreement with on scheduling....Reliever Takehito Nomura, who had an abortive stint with Milwaukee last year, has been released. He still hopes to continue his career. Sheesh. Take a hint, guy.
Lotte Big righthander Nate Minchey will be reupped for next season. However, the status of infielder Jose Fernandez and infielder/outfielder Rick Short is up in the air despite both posting averages over .300. Derrick May has already been released and reliever Brian Sikorsky is likely to be let go. A team spokseman said that they were disappointed over Fernandez and Short's lack of hitting in the first half of the schedule and that may cause their ouster. .300 with 30 homers doesn't just fall off trees, guys. So they should at least retain Fernandez....Sankei Sports says that Bobby Valentine, who is at the top of Lotte's managerial want list, is looking to get back into MLB rather than going to Japan. Now there is talk that Isao Hirono may be elevated into that slot.
Orix Leon Lee will, as had been rumored before, be invited back with the team as a batting instructor. That is a smart move. But Lee hasn't given them a response to the offer yet, according to Hochi Sports. Team president Koizumi wants Lee to not only teach the foreign players, but help out the Japanese players was well....The club also announced the release of five players, pitchers Shigeki Sano and Yasuyoshi Hashimoto, catcher Hiroshi Fujimoto, and outfielders Koji Takamizawa and Yasuhiro Itakura. Sano will retire and hopes to find a coaching job.
Today's Pictures
Bobby Valentine in His Lotte Uniform
Masahiko Morino Homers in the Third Inning
