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10/11/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Yakult Whips Dragons; Uehara Lashes Out at Giants Management for Hara Mess"
Yakult Keeps Tenuous Hold on Third with 7-2 Victory Over Dragons
The Yakult Swallows are battling the Chunichi Dragons and the Yomiuri Giants for a spot in the first division and they held on to third place Thursday, as leftfielder Alex Ramirez cranked his 39th homer and Masanori Ishikawa evened his record in a 7-2 Swallows victory at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Dragons starter Masahiro Yamamoto has now lost three in a row.
The Dragons drew first blood in the third, as Yakult rightfielder Ryuji Miyade geeked second baseman Masahiro Araki's fly ball and Araki then galloped home on a shot down the leftfield line by rightfielder Takayuki Onishi that went for an RBI double and a 1-0 lead.
Ramirez, though, drastically changed that when he followed a one out walk to third baseman Akinori Iwamura in the fourth by thumping one into the leftfield bleachers to make it 2-1 Yakult.
Yamamoto then weakened in the fifth, as second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi doubled to rightcenter with one out and Ishikawa singled to left. Centerfielder Tetsuya Iida banged a Yamamoto delivery off the centerfield wall to plate Shiroishi on the double. Shortstop Shinya Miyamoto then buried another Yamamoto selection in the leftfield stands and it was 6-1 Swallows. One out later, Ramirez singled to center. First baseman Ken Suzuki whistled one down the rightfield line for a double. Masataka Endo entered from the bullpen for Chunichi. Catcher Atsuya Furuta singled to right to usher Ramirez in and it was 7-1.
The Dragons got one back in the sixth, when third baseman So Tsutsui doubled down the leftfield line and shortstop Masahiko Morino legged out a ground ball. Catcher Yuichi Yanagisawa singled to left to bring Tsutsui in to make it 7-2. But that revolt was halted in its tracks when Hidenori Kuramoto bounced into a 4-6-3 double play.
Reliever Hirotoshi Ishii tossed two perfect innings for Yakult, but the Dragons then touched Tatsuki Yamamoto for a leadoff pinch hit single to center by Kiyohito Shimizu and, two strikeouts later, Araki singled to center. However, it ended there, as Onishi grounded out to third and it was "game setto."
Regular rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome started this game in left to get him ready for that assignment during the Asian olympic qualifying tourney. He made a fine running catch of a low liner into leftcenter before returning to right later on in the contest.
For Yakult, Ramirez was 2-4 with two RBIs and is at .333. Yuichi Matsumoto was 0-1 in a pinch hit appearance and is at .308.
Pitching Lines:
Chunichi:
M. Yamamoto (L, 9-7) IP 4.2 BF 23 PC 84 H 8 HR 2 K 1 BB 1 R 7 ER 7 ERA 3.58
Endo IP 0.1 BF 2 PC 7 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.83
Yamai IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 19 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.76
Koyama IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 18 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 9.35
Miyakoshi IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yakult:
Masanori Ishikawa (W, 11-11) IP 6.0 BF 28 PC 98 H 9 HR 0 K 6 BB 1 R 2 ER 1 ERA 3.91
H. Ishii IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 26 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.21
Tatsuki Yamamoto IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 24 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.70
E: Miyade
SB: Y. Noguchi
2B: T. Onishi, Tsutsui 2, Shiroishi 2, Iida, K. Suzuki
HR: Ramirez (39), S. Miyamoto (7)
RBI: Iida, Miyamoto 3, Ramirez 2, Furuta, Fukudome, Yanagisawa
GIDP: Kuramoto (4-6-3), S. Miyamoto (4-6-3)
LOB: Chunichi 10, Yakult 5
Season Series: Chunichi 14, Yakult 14
Game Time: 3:03
Attendance: 8,000
Umpires: Nishimoto (HP), Arisumi (1B), Kasahara (2B), Mori (3B)
Kazuyoshi Kimura Single in Ninth Downs Yokohama 3-2
An RBI single to right in the top of the ninth inning Thursday at Yokohama Stadium by Kazuyoshi Kimura dissolved a 2-2 tie with the Yokohama Bay Stars in a 3-2 Hiroshima Carp victory. That inning then ended on a triple play, but more about that later.
Chris Brock started for Hiroshima and put together a strong outing, as he went six innings of two run (one earned) ball on six hits, though he ultimately didn't get the decision.
Takeharu Kato started for Yokohama and had one of his finest ever performances as a pro, fashioning six innings of one unearned run ball on four hits, though he wasn't rewarded for his effort, either.
The Carp swam out to an early lead, as second baseman Kazuki Fukuchi got aboard on an infield hit and stole second. Centerfielder Koichi Ogata singled to center to convert Fukuchi and it was 1-0.
Brock, though, was hurt by an error by Fukuchi in the third, as, after Kato had reached on an infield hit, Kimura threw away Yokohama second baseman Hitoshi Taneda's ground ball and Kato beat a hasty path to the dish to knot it at one all.
The Carp then blew a two on, nobody out chance in the fourth on a little popout to the pitcher and two strikeouts.
In the sixth, Yokohama had a flash rally to dent Brock again, as first baseman Tyrone Woods doubled to rightcenter with one out and leftfielder Takanori Suzuki laced one up the leftcenter alley for an RBI double and a 2-1 Stars advantage.
But Yokohama manager Daisuke Yamashita chose to insert Denny Tomori in the ninth to try to close it out and Tomori would earn his eighth defeat. Leftfielder Tomonori Maeda drilled a shot off the rightfield wall for a double. First baseman Takahiro Arai singled to left. Rightfielder Masafumi Suenaga clocked a fastball back up the middle to level it at 2-2. Tomori then plunked Kura, who was pinch hitting for reliever Koichi Amano, and the bases were loaded. Kimura found some vacant real estate in right to hail Arai in and it was 3-2 Carp. Takuya Kimura torched a liner right at centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo, who threw to second to double Kura off. Taneda then went to third to get Suenaga for the inning ending triple play. I don't know what happened with the runners, especially with Suenaga, but it was Yokohama's first triple killing since one they pulled one off against Hanshin in 1989.
Shinji Sasaoka came on and retired the Stars in order in the bottom of the inning to secure the triumph.
For Yokohama, Woods was 2-4 and is at .273.
For Hiroshima, shortstop Andy Sheets was 0-3 with a walk and is at .314.
Pitching Lines:
Hiroshima:
Brock IP 6.0 BF 25 PC 85 H 6 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 2 ER 1 ERA 3.94
Amano (W, 2-4) IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 24 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.12
Sasaoka (S, 5) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.89
Yokohama:
T.H. Kato IP 6.0 BF 23 PC 91 H 4 HR 0 K 8 BB 1 R 1 ER 0 ERA 2.77
Y. Hata IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 21 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.75
Fukumori IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 19 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.50
Tomori (L, 1-8) IP 0.0 BF 5 PC 18 H 4 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.40
Tomioka IP 1.0 BF 1 PC 8 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.05
E: Fukuchi, T.H. Kato
SB: Fukuchi, K.A. Furuki
2B: Ogata, T. Ishii, Woods, T.N. Suzuki, T. Maeda
RBI: T.N. Suzuki, Ogata, Suenaga, K. Kimura
HBP: Kura (Tomori)
GIDP: Yoshimura (6-4-3)
LOB: Hiroshima 7, Yokohama 5
Season Series: Hiroshima 18, Yokohama 10
Game Time: 3:06
Attendance: 18,000
Umpires: Fukatani (HP), Shikita (1B), Watada (2B), Uemoto (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri Giants ace Koji Uehara blasted team officials for creating an atmosphere that wasn't conducive to the players concentrating on baseball nor, Uehara believes, was it particularly a happy circumstance for the club's fans, who, he claims, are being turned off by the kind of circus that owner Tsuneo Watanabe and others set off when it came to light that now ex-manager Tatsunori Hara's job was in jeopardy. This may also signal larger dissension within the ranks of Giants players since some of the criticisms leveled at team bigwigs were from comments Uehara amassed from his teammates. He is also making noises about going to MLB if his agent isn't permitted to negotiate with Yomiuri on his behalf. This whole boiling controversy is exceptionally rare for Japan's most button downed nine and it will be interesting to see how it develops....Righthander Masumi Kuwata returned to Japan Thursday from a trip to Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California to have his elbow examined and was more circumspect than Uehara, but nevertheless agreed with those who found the whole Hara episode distasteful....Infielder Akira Etoh wants to remain with the Giants though he has been pretty seriously dissed by the Tokyo press as well as the front office for not hitting as expected....Infielder Koji Goto, 34, will not exercise his free agency rights, according to Sankei Sports.
Yakult Shortstop Shinya Miyamoto has been named team captain of the Japanese team for the Asian olympic qualifying tournament.
Hanshin Hideki Irabu will probably be the game two starter in the Japan Series.
Chunichi New skipper Hiromitsu Ochiai will appeal to the team to change its uniforms for next season to an older style predating even when he was a player with the Nagoya side. The Dragons got permission in 1987 from then Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley to use that MLB organization's uniform design, but now it will be altered....Ochiai, who wants to build the Dragons from the bottom up, is already cleaning house with the coaching staff, firing eight of those who came up with the now departed Hisashi Yamada. Former Dragons infielder Masaru Uno will join Ochiai's new braintrust as the club's chief batting instructor....2002 ace Kenshin Kawakami, who has seen this year ended by injury, will pitch in a fall instructional league. Fellow hurler Kenta Asakura will join him....Closer Akinori Otsuka says that he is conflicted as to whether to ask to be posted to MLB or to stay with Chunichi. He will wait until the end of the Japan Series before making a decision....Former Nankai Hawks hurler Michio Sato, a two time ERA title winner, was named the team's minor league manager.
Yokohama A trade in which relievers Kazuo Fukumori and Eiji Yano would go to Kintetsu for pitchers Ken Kadokura and Shinji Udaka has been executed. Fukumori will reportedly be given a chance to close next season for the Buffs. And it's not even April Fool's Day yet....Stars backup catcher Satoshi Nakajima may end up at Nippon Ham if he gets released. Nakajima hit .214 with no homers and three RBIs in 19 games this season playing behind Takeshi Nakamura and Ryoji Aikawa. This seems to indicate that manager Trey Hillman isn't particularly happy with reserve catcher Kazunari Sanematsu and is looking for alternate solutions....Yokohama's front office is going to make Nihon Bunri University righthander Teruaki Yoshikawa, who has a fastball that maxes out at 93mph, one of its top two choices in the November draft. He is looked at as a future closer after being mostly in a setup role in college.
Seibu Daisuke Matsuzaka is itching to face the Korean team in the upcoming Asian qualifying tournament since Japan got beat in the bronze medal game he started against that squad in the 2000 Syndey Olympic Games. Samsung slugger Seung-yeop Lee took the righthander downtown for a two run homer in that game.
Daiei The Hawks Japan Series rotation is out now and it will be Kazumi Saito in game one, Toshiya Sugiuchi in game two and Tsuyoshi Wada in game three.
Nippon Ham An executive with the Fighters said that he would like to acquire Ichiro Suzuki and Kazuo Matsui for when the team moves to Sapporo next season. However, considering that Ichiro, who is under the control of the Mariners for three more seasons, will be asking for in excess of $10 million a year and Matsui is likely to earn $5-6 million per, the bigwig whistfully sighed, "if only."
Lotte The team may make Koryo High School righthander Kentaro Nishimura their number one draft choice. Yomiuri plans to draft Nishimura on the second round behind Tetsuya Utsumi, but if Lotte takes him on the first round, they would get priority as to his rights. Nishimura doesn't care who he signs with, according to Hochi Sports.
Condolences
We at Baseball Guru.com would like to pass on our condolences to the family of former Kokutetsu Swallows pitcher Terukatsu Tashiro, who died Thursday at a Tokyo area hospital of cardiac arrest at age 69.
A native of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, the righthander went 6-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 56 games (164.1 total innings) during his five pro seasons.
Following his retirement as a player, Tashiro umpired for ten years in the Central League. He was also vice president of the Swallows retired players association. He is survived by his wife, Yoko.
