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03/17/2004 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Tigers Carve Up Giants; Huge Seguignol Blast Powers Fighters"
Hanshin Rolls a Pair of Fours to Hammer Yomiuri 10-3
Hanshin leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto homered for third consecutive game in the first inning Sunday at Koshien Stadium before 48,000 off of Yomiuri Giants starter Kimiyasu Kudoh and then stuck it to relievers Brian Sikorsky and Julio Santana to win it easily 10-3.
But the contest was also marred by Hanshin starter Keiichi Yabu beaning DH Hiroyuki Nakahama on the top of the head with an 86mph fastball in the fourth. Nakahama was rendered unconscious and was taken to hospital. Giants first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara, who has been plunked six times over his career (three of those in one season) by Yabu, initiated a staring match from the dugout with Yabu as the righthander was tossed by the plate umpire for throwing a dangerous pitch. Thankfully, no brawl ensued. However, Sikorsky ran a fastball off the lefthand of Tigers second baseman Makoto Imaoka later in the match and he had to be taken to hospital as well, where he was diagnosed with a bruise.
Yomiuri pounced on Yabu for an initial first inning lead, as leadoff man and second baseman Toshihisa Nishi opened the proceedings with a walk and rode leftfielder Takayuki Shimizu's double to right to third. Third baseman Daisuke Motoki spanked a single to right to bring Nishi in, but Shimizu was meat at the dish on a nice relay from rightfielder Shinjiro Hiyama. Centerfielder Tuffy Rhodes then snuffed the uprising when he grounded into a 1-6-3 twin killing to keep it at 1-0 kyojin.
However, Kudoh, who was smacked around to the tune of a 14.06 ERA against the Tigers last season, gave it right back when centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi cracked a one out double to left. Second baseman Makoto Imaoka flew to deep left. Shimizu got under it near the wall. Akahoshi tagged up and made a beeline for third. Shimizu's peg was way offline, ticking off of shortstop Mototsugu Kawanaka's glove, giving the speedster more than enough time to bounce up and hustle homeward to knot it at one apiece. Kanemoto leaned into a fastball (or a changeup, depending on which account you want to believe) and belted it way into the rightfield bleachers to put it at 2-1 home team. Kudoh would have men on in every inning thence, but managed to contain what is shaping up as a very destructive Tigers order and left after his five inning assignment was completed.
In the meantime, Yomiuri tied it up in the second when rightfielder Chris Latham doubled with one away off the leftfield wall and sailed to the plate on a two out knock to center by Nakahama to make it 2-2.
The Giants would then seize a shortlived advantage in the top of the sixth, as backup first baseman Kenji Fukui singled to center and Latham walked. Two outs later, Kawanaka walked to load the bases. Nishi then clocked a shot off of Hirotaka Egusa's glove for an infield hit and the RBI to put the Tokyo side up 3-2.
Hanshin would respond in spades, though. During their ups in that frame. substitute third baseman Atsushi Kataoka singled to center and first baseman Kentaro Sekimoto walked. One out later, DH Atsushi Fujimoto continued his sensational spring by lasering a changeup for a triple into the rightfield corner on the 12th pitch he saw in the at bat to push two across. Shortstop Takashi Toritani seared a Sikorsky delivery to the wall in rightcenter to hail Fujimoto in. Akahoshi lined a shot down the third base line and into the corner and was standing on third by the time the ball was brought back to the infield as Toritani scampered to the plate. Sikorsky then nailed Imaoka and he was removed in favor of Koji Hirashita. The revolt ended there, however, when backup leftfielder Ikuro Katsuragi flew out to right, but Hanshin was in the driver's seat at 6-3.
Two innings down the road, the Osaka favorite sons put it away for good, as Kataoka banged the third of his three singles in this game and, one out later, Fujimoto walked. Toritani also walked to juice the bags. Akahoshi singled to rightcenter and Kataoka crossed. Hirashita singled to center and Fujimoto and Toritani scored. But reserve centerfielder Tatsuya Ide's relay to the plate was by the cutoff man and the runners each advanced a base to second and third respectively. Katsuragi blooped a single into left to convert Akahoshi to make it a rout at 10-3. Tigers reliever Yuya Ando retired the side in order in the ninth and it was see you later.
Giants skipper Tsuneo Horiuchi was steaming after the game about the sloppy defensive execution and may hold special defensive drills to work on relays from the outfield. But even worse was that it was another bullpen collapse that did Yomiuri in. This is going to be another long season for the big guys (I will have more on that in my regular season review this coming Sunday).
Hiroki Kokubo is still hobbling and made just a pinch hit appearance, going down on three straight strikes from Ando, but is still hitting a gaudy .389 anyway.
Sikorsky told reporters after it was over that he didn't intend to hit Imaoka, but rather the ball just ran in further than he thought it would. Nudge nudge, wink wink. Obviously, he couldn't reveal that he was protecting his teammates.
For Yomiuri, Rhodes was 0-4 with three strikeouts and is at .278. Latham was 1-3 with a walk and two strikeouts and is at .238.
For Hanshin, first baseman George Arias hit a ball off of his foot in his one time up and was removed after striking out, sinking his average to .200.
Pitching Lines:
Yomiuri:
Kudoh IP 5.0 BF 23 PC 90 H 6 HR 1 K 5 BB 2 R 2 ER 1 ERA 5.63
Sikorsky (L, 0-1) IP 1.0 BF 8 PC 46 H 4 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 4 ER 4 ERA 11.25
R. Kimura IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 18 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 9.00
Santana IP 1.0 BF 8 PC 34 H 4 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 4 ER 2 ERA 4.50
Hanshin:
Yabu IP 3.2 BF 17 PC 75 H 6 HR 0 K 4 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.91
Ishige IP 0.1 BF 2 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.80
Egusa (W, 2-0) IP 2.0 BF 10 PC 47 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.25
Yoshino IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 19 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Ando IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 27 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.25
E: T. Shimizu, T. Ide
SB: Fujimoto 2
2B: T. Shimizu, Latham, Akahoshi, Kanemoto, Toritani
3B: Akahoshi, Fujimoto
HR: Kanemoto (3)
RBI: Nishi, Motoki, Nakahama, Toritani, Akahoshi, Hirashita 2, Kanemoto, Katsuragi,
Fujimoto 2
HBP: Nakahama (Yabu), Imaoka (Sikorsky)
GIDP: Rhodes
Game Time: 3:42
Attendance: 48,000
Umpires: Tomari (HP), Kittaka (1B), Tani (2B), Shimada (3B)
Kintetsu Makes Mounce-meat of Swallows 8-4; Yoshioka's Season Over
Fortunately for Yakult starter Tony Mounce, the Swallows pitching staff has been wrecked by injuries, since this second consecutive bad outing would have punched his ticket to the Eastern League, but he will get at least one more shot to show manager Tsutomu Wakamatsu that he can pitch on this half of the planet after absorbing an 8-4 defeat under the hooves of the Kintetsu Buffaloes Sunday at Osaka Dome.
Jeremy Powell started for the Buffs and didn't fare that well, permitting three runs in five innings on seven hits, but nevertheless cadged credit for the win.
Yakult pulled to an early lead, as DH Atsunori Inaba walked with two gone and sprinted home on a double off the centerfield fence by first baseman Tony Martin to make it 1-0.
Following a perfect first, Mounce then found himself at a disadvantage in the second, when third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, now back from the Dodgers camp, singled to center and, one out later, leftfielder Fumitoshi Takano stroked a double to left. Rightfielder Hiroaki Onishi bopped a two bagger down the line in left to redeem the two runners and it was 2-1 Kintetsu.
Then the rest of the Kintetsu order showed up for its tee time in the third, as they pinged shots off of Mounce all overt the lot. Centerfielder Naoyuki Omura walked and, one out later, first baseman Hirotoshi Katagawa singled to center. Nakamura walked to jam the basepaths. DH Yuji Yoshioka singled to left for two RBIs. Takano propelled Nakamura across with a single to center. Onishi torched a double to right and it was 6-1 Buffs.
Yakult countered in the fourth when Martin was plunked by Powell and pinch hitter Yoneno doubled to right. Catcher Atsuya Furuta grounded to short to get Martin in. One out later, second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi singled to center to shrink the deficit to 6-3.
In the fifth, though, Kintetsu would suffer a severe setback, as Yoshioka singled to right and, seeing the ball being bobbled by Ryuji Miyade, attempted to accelerate for second. However, he suddenly collapsed to the ground and is now out for the season with a severed Achilles tendon injury. He did make it back to the bag and Kenshi Kawaguchi was put in Yoshioka's place as the veteran infielder was loaded into an ambulance. Takano ripped a shot to left that went for a double and Kawaguchi rumbled around the bases to widen it to 7-3.
Yakult drew within three in the eighth when Martin doubled to center with one away and, one out later, third baseman Hirobumi Watarai singled to right, the scoreboard now reading Kintetsu 7, Swallows 4.
That would be futile, however, since Onishi walked with one gone and stole second. One out later, pinch hitter Osamu Hoshino singled to center for the RBI and that is how it ended, 8-4 Buffs.
Wakamatsu, when asked assess Mounce's performance, offered, "his control was bad and he got his pitches up." The former Ranger was victimized for four runs in three innings against Nippon Ham, which is why his ERA is about to strike 13.. Mounce himself thought he was rushing his delivery and perhaps is still mentally adjusting to his new environs.
Infielder Hajime Miki is attempting to make the transition to switch hitting and had a single batting from the left side in the ninth.
For Yakult, Martin was 2-3 with an RBI and an HBP and is at .364.
Pitching Lines:
Yakult:
Mounce (L, 0-1) IP 4.0 BF 21 PC 86 H 7 HR 0 K 1 BB 3 R 6 ER 6 ERA 12.86
Hanada IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 21 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.80
H.T. Maeda IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 28 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.25
Igarashi IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 36 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
Kintetsu:
Powell (W, 1-0) IP 5.0 BF 23 PC 83 H 7 HR 0 K 3 BB 2 R 3 ER 3 ERA 9.00
Fukumori IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 27 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Arime IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 23 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.59
Carrasco IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 15 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
SB: H. Onishi
2B: Martin 2, K. Suzuki, Inaba, Takano 2, H. Onishi
RBI: Martin, Furuta, Watarai, Shiroishi, Yoshioka 2, Takano 2, H. Onishi 3, O.
Hoshino
HBP: Martin (Powell)
GIDP: Manaka, Nagaike
Game Time: 2:57
Attendance: 6,000
Umpires: Kaneko (HP), Manabe (1B), Kodera (2B), Yoshimoto (3B)
Guzman Wins First as a Dragon 6-5
Chunichi starter Domingo Guzman had his best stuff of the spring Sunday, being clocked as high as 94mph and he picked up a victory as a result, though his stats, four runs (three earned) in six innings wasn't anything to write home about to be sure, in a 6-5 Dragons triumph over the Orix Blue Wave at Gifu.
Trey Moore started for Orix and thought he was progressing. Again, his stats would say differently, three runs, all earned, in four innings. The loss, however, ultimately went to Masato Yoshii, who was exploited for three runs in the fifth for the margin of defeat.
Moore allowed two men to reach on a walk and a single in the first, but popped Ochoa up to wriggle out of the difficulty. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case in the second. With two outs, catcher Yuichi Yanagisawa walked and shortstop Tadaatsu Nakazawa doubled to left. Rightfielder Takayuki Onishi singled to left and it was 2-0 Dragons.
Orix surmounted that in the third, as shortstop Mitsutaka Goto singled to right and scored from first on a double to right by catcher Takeshi Hidaka. One out later, centerfielder Daisuke Hayakawa was hit by a pitch and Saito grounded to first baseman Kazuki Inoue, who kicked it, which lent Hidaka enough room timewise to cross the plate and Hayakawa make haste for third. Rightfielder Ryutaro Tsuji flew out to center and it was deep enough so that Hayakawa could tag up and get home safely for the 3-2 advantage.
In the bottom portion, Dragons centerfielder Alex Ochoa mercilessly walloped a Moore delivery completely out of the ballpark to left to even it at 3-3.
Yoshii came on for the fifth and Chunichi rudely received him with a double to left by Onishi. Second baseman Masahiro Araki grounded to first baseman Yuji Goshima, who fumbled it for an error. One out later, leftfielder Koji Nakamura laced a hanging forkball down the leftfield line for an RBI and Ochoa singled to left to send Araki in. Nakamura then came around, too somehow (the game log is vague on this) and it was 6-3 in favor of the party from Nagoya.
But Jose Ortiz catalyzed a brief Orix rally in the sixth with a pinch hit single to left. Goshima singled to center following an out, Ortiz heading for third. Third baseman Kazuhiko Shiotani flew out to right and Ortiz tagged and scored to make it 6-4 Dragons.
Orix may have been able to tie the contest up if there wasn't a baserunning blunder by the slow footed Takeshi Yamasaki, who leadoff the eighth with a walk and sub rightfielder Mukae was struck by a pitch. With Shiotani at the plate, Takashi Ogasawara threw a wild pitch. For whatever reason, Yamasaki hadit in his head that he could score from second and was easily tagged out. Yuichiro Mukae went to third on a groundout and crossed on a grounder to second by Goto and it was 6-5 Chunichi. Orix couldn't muster anything in the ninth against Shinya Okamoto and that was all she wrote.
For Chunichi, Ochoa was 2-4 with two RBIs and is at .364.
For Orix, Ortiz was 1-2 and is at .257.
Pitching Lines:
Orix:
Moore IP 4.0 BF 18 PC 76 H 4 HR 1 K 3 BB 2 R 3 ER 3 ERA 13.00
Yoshii (L, 0-1) IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 32 H 4 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 3 ER 1 ERA 2.25
Nomura IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 15 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.60
K. Yamaguchi IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.25
Chunichi:
Guzman (W, 1-1) IP 6.0 BF 27 PC 93 H 0 HR 3 K ? BB 1 R 4 ER 3 ERA 8.10
T. Ogasawara IP 2.0 BF 8 PC 30 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.00
S. Okamoto (S, 1)IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
E: R. Tsuji, Goshima, M. Araki, K. Inoue 2
SB: M. Araki
2B: Hidaka, Nakazawa, T. Onishi, N. Nakamura
HR: Ochoa (2)
RBI: Saito, R. Tsuji, Shiotani, M.T. Goto, Hidaka, T. Onishi 2, N. Nakamura, Ochoa 2
SF: R. Tsuji, Shiotani
HBP: D. Hayakawa (Guzman), Mukae (T. Ogasawara)
GIDP: R. Tsuji
Game Time: 2:41
Attendance: 17,000
Umpires: Hayashi (HP), Fukatani (1B), Iizuka (2B), Mori (3B)
Hiroshima Nearly No Hits Daiei in 3-2 Thriller
A RBI single by Hiroshima rightfielder Shigenobu Shima drove pinch runner Soichiro Amaya in from second to help the Carp to a 3-2 victory Sunday over the Daiei Hawks at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. The two teams accumulated just six hits, but the Hawks couldn't do anything after Tadahito Iguchi's two run homer in the top of the fourth gave them a temporary 2-1 advantage and averted his side being no hit, as it was the only knock by Daiei on the day.
Nagisa Arakaki started for the Hawks and went an excellent seven innings of two run (one earned) ball on three hits, though he did walk four while striking out six. He was clocked at 92mph and kept his slider down. He also displayed more composure with men on than he had in his 2003 rookie campaign.
Takaya Kawauchi started for Hiroshima and was, aside from the mistake to Iguchi, nails, going six innings of two run ball on the one hit while striking out two and walking two.
Hiroshima got the upper hand in the third, when leftfielder Toyo Asayama singled to right with one out and went to third when Arakai walked both DH Koichi Ogata and centerfielder Takuya Kimura back to back. Second baseman Greg LaRocca flew out to center and Asayama tagged up and crossed for a 1-0 Carp lead.
But Daiei third baseman Ryo Yoshimoto walked with one out in the fourth and Kawauchi left a pitch up in the zone and Iguchi clobbered it into the centerfield stands to put the birds of prey in front 2-1.
Shima would walk to begin the Carp half and was forced out at second on a grounder off the bat of first baseman Takahiro Arai. Arai advanced on a groundout and set the controls for the heart of home plate with a single from catcher Yoshiyuki Ishihara to equalize it at 2-2.
It remained there until the eighth, when Shuji Nishiyama singled to center and was pinch run for by Amaya. Larocca grounded to Yusuke Torigoe at short and, in trying to turn the double play, forgot to catch the ball for an error. One out later, Shima conked his single to right and Hiroshima had pulled to the front of the line 3-2.
Carp closer Katsuhiro Nagakawa would walk three in the ninth to put the lead run on, but struckout catcher Kenji Johjima to save it.
For Hiroshima, Larocca was 0-3 with an RBI and two strikeouts and is at .400. Shortstop Larry Sheets, in his first action this spring, was 0-2 and is at .000.
For Daiei, leftfielder Pedro Valdez was 0-3 with two strikeouts and is at .280. DH Julio Zuleta was 0-3 and is at .148.
Pitching Lines:
Daiei:
Arakaki IP 7.0 BF 28 PC 84 H 3 HR 0 K 6 BB 4 R 2 ER 1 ERA 1.50
Shibata (L, 0-1) IP 0.0 BF 1 PC 3 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 0 ERA 3.00
K. Okamoto IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.75
Hiroshima:
Kawauchi IP 6.0 BF 21 PC 73 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.91
K. Kobayashi (W, 1-0) IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 25 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Nagakawa (S, 1) IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 31 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 3 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
E: Iguchi, Torigoe
HR: Iguchi (1)
RBI: Iguchi 2, LaRocca, Shima, Ishihara
SF: LaRocca
GIDP: T. Arai
Game Time: 2:20
Attendance: 15,000
Umpires: Sugimoto (HP), Sasaki (1B), Yamamura (2B), Kobayashi (3B)
Serafini Ineffective in 7-1 Loss to Seibu
Lotte reliever Dan Serafini, in his second appearance in Japan, couldn't get anyone out Sunday at Seibu Dome, enabling the Seibu Lions to pull away to a 7-1 victory. At least he wasn't saddled with blame for the loss. He was ultimately charged with three runs on one hit and two walks to inflate his ERA to 27.00.
Daisuke Matsuzaka started for the Lions and, except for three walks, was otherwise superb, permitting four hits and a run in five innings while striking out seven.
Nathan Minchey started for Lotte and while he allowed runners to reach in every inning except the first, held the Tokorozawa clique to just a run on six hits while walking none and fanning two.
Lotte invaded the homeland in the third, when shortstop Makoto Kosaka walked, stole second and then put it in fourth on second baseman Koichi Hori's double to the centerfield fence for the 1-0 advantage.
But Seibu put one out together singles to center from catcher Kosuke Noda and second baseman Hiroyuki Takagi and a groundout to second from slumping DH Hiroyuki Shibata to level it at one all.
They would then tack on a pair in the sixth, as centerfielder Tatsuya Ozeki singled to right and third baseman Jose Fernandez unloaded a titanic nearly 500 foot homer beyond the seats in leftcenter to make it 3-1.
Serafini was inserted to begin the seventh and he walked the first two men he saw, shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and Noda. Hiroshi Hirao was dispatched to pinch hit for Takagi and he hammered a drive to left that went for an RBI double. Shinichi Nagasaki replaced Serafini and Masahide Kaizuka drilled a copycat of Hirao's that brought in two. Two outs later, first baseman Taketoshi Goto walked. Leftfielder Tomoaki Sato singled to center to point Kaizuka home and Seibu had a 7-1 edge. Hayato Aoki and Chikara Onodera, finally back from a circulatory problem, rendered Lotte hitless over the last two innings and its four game winning streak a thing of the past.
The game saw a rematch between Matsuzaka and Korean slugger Seung-yeop Lee, who had a big double and homer off of the Lions ace during the 2000 Sydney olympics that sunk Japan's medal hopes. The righthander overpowered the former Samsung superstar, striking him out twice on high fastballs, even setting up the first whiff with a changeup. Lee came up empty all three times he came to the plate and is at .267. He also leads all hitters this spring with 14 strikeouts. "We will probably see him strikeout a lot more until he gets used to Japanese pitching," said manager Bobby Valentine.
Matsuzaka was clocked at 92mph and held Lotte-s 3-4-5 hitters to a 1-7.
For Seibu, Alex Cabrera started at first base and went 0-3 and is at .363. Fernandez was 1-4 with two RBIs and is at .200.
For Lotte, third baseman Matt Franco was 1-2 and is at .261. Centerfielder Benny Agbayani was 0-2 and is at .130.
Pitching Lines:
Lotte:
Minchey IP 5.0 BF 19 PC 49 H 6 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.60
Tobe (L, 1-1) IP 0.2 BF 4 PC 20 H 2 HR 1 K 1 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 6.75
Takagi IP 0.1 BF 1 PC 5 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Serafini IP 0.0 BF 3 PC 12 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 3 ER 3 ERA 27.00
Nagasaki IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 17 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.00
T. Tanaka IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.00
Seibu:
Matsuzaka IP 5.0 BF 21 PC 87 H 4 HR 0 K 7 BB 3 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.13
T. Hoshino (W, 1-0)IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 34 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 3 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
H. Aoki IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 9 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.60
Onodera IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.00
SB: Kosaka
2B: Hori, Tachikawa, H.Y. Nakajima, Kaizuka, Hirao
HR: Fernandez (2)
RBI: Hori, H. Shibata, Kaizuka 2, Fernandez 2, T.A. Sato, Hirao
HBP: Harai (Hoshino)
GIDP: Agbayani, H.Y. Oshima
Game Time: 2:44
Attendance: 12,000
Umpires: Kawaguchi (HP), Sakaemura (1B), Hashimoto (2B), Nakamura (3B)
Seguignol Two Run Homer Blasts Fighters Over Yokohama 6-2
Fernando Seguignol's two run homer in the third inning proved to be the killing blow that put Nippon Ham in a position to where it would never trail in this game, as the Fighters went on to take it 6-2. Nippon Ham starter Satoru Kanemura had at least one man on in every inning, but stifled the Stars to one run in five innings for his first shiroboshi of the spring.
Rookie Teruaki Yoshikawa started for Yokohama and was hammered for five runs on eight hits to get hung with the defeat.
Rightfielder Tomochika Tsuboi leadoff the game with a single to right, was sacrificed to second and completed the circuit on third baseman Michihiro Ogasawara's double to left for a 1-0 lead.
They added to that in the third when Tsuboi kicked things off with a single to left and, two outs later, Seguignol got an 89mph fastball down and out over the plate and golfed it on a line over 490 feet for a mucho grande two run jack and a 3-0 Fighters advantage. DH Kuniyuki Kimoto rifled a double to left and leftfielder Yoshinori Ueda produced a two bagger to right and it was 4-0.
Yokohama answered with a fourth inning tally, as third baseman Shinichi Murata walked and rightfielder Takahiro Saeki singled to right. Leftfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo doubled to right to drive Murata in to make it 4-1.
Nippon Ham snatched that back in the fifth when Ogasawara walked with one away and first baseman Seigo Fujishima singled to center. Kimoto singled to left and it was 5-1 Fighters.
In the eighth, Yokohama scored its only other run on a one out walk to backup leftfielder Yuki Kono and singles to center by Kinjo, who was now in right, and catcher Takeshi Nakamura to put it at 5-2.
But Nippon Ham rebelled with a ninth inning double to left by Seguignol, a single to center by Fujishima and an RBI double from Kimoto and that was how it ended, 6-2.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo was given the day off, but signed some 2000 autographs before the game.
Yokohama reliever Eddie Gaillard was clocked at 93mph during his scoreless inning.
Yoshikawa said after the game that he was too focused on making perfect pitches on the corners and and ended up consistently behind to the hitters due to that.
For Yokohama, first baseman Tyrone Woods was 0-3 with two strikeouts and is at .188.
For Nippon Ham, Seguignol was 1-2 with two RBIs and is at .278. Ogasawara, last season's batting champ, is at .400 after a 1-2 with a walk and an RBI.
Pitching Lines:
Nippon Ham:
Kanemura (W, 1-0) IP 5.0 BF 22 PC 87 H 5 HR 0 K 4 BB 3 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.80
Kato IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 17 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 13.50
Tateishi IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 19 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Date IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 27 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.38
Shibakusa IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yokohama:
Yoshikawa (L, 1-1) IP 5.0 BF 24 PC 81 H 8 HR 1 K 0 BB 2 R 5 ER 5 ERA 4.50
Gaillard IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 23 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kawamura IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.00
Azuma IP 0.2 BF 5 PC 31 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 3 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Tomioka IP 1.1 BF 8 PC 40 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.38
E: Akune, Oda, Sanematsu
SB: Koyano, T. Ishii, T.N. Suzuki
2B: M. Ogasawara, Kimoto 2, Y. Ueda, Oda, Kinjo
HR: Seguignol (2)
RBI: Nakamura, Kinjo, M. Ogasawara, Seguignol 2, Kimoto 2, Y. Ueda
GIDP: Uchikawa
Game Time: 3:30
Attendance: 20,000
Umpires: Akimura (HP), Arisumi (1B), Yanagita (2B), Nako (3B)
Team Reports
Hanshin Infielder Mike Kinkade has been out the last few days with shoulder pain. But Sunday, he took batting practice and is now scheduled to start on Tuesday in an exhibition game....Reliever Jerrod Riggan is having stomach trouble and diarrhea and sat out Sunday's practice. He was examined at a Nishinomiya area hospital and returned to his apartment.
Chunichi Rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome engaged in his first defensive drills since going down with a pulled calf muscle last month. He then did some light running. He indicated that his recovery is going smoothly, but he isn't focusing on Opening Day yet. There is no schedule as yet as to when he will see game action.
Yomiuri After a disappointing last couple of outings, lefthander Masanori Hayashi was demoted to the minors. He made an instructional league start Sunday and went seven solid innings of two run ball on four hits against the Shonan Sea Rex, Yokohama's farm team. The performance caused a coach to remark that Hayashi may be promoted to appear against Nippon Ham this coming weekend....Ace Koji Uehara threw 51 pitches in the bullpen Sunday, as he continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury. He felt no discomfort afterward. But whether he will make it to Opening Day is still pretty dicey right now.
Yakult The bad news just keeps on coming in Swallows land. Pitcher Shohei Tachiyama will have surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament on the 19th. He will require a year of rehab....Third baseman Akinori Iwamura has a sprained wrist that has worsened. He is still listed as day to day. One hopes that it doesn't turn into a repeat of last season when he injured some wrist ligaments and missed the first half of the schedule....Outfielder Tetsuya Iida has a hamstring problem and sat out Sunday's game as a result.
Nippon Ham Pitcher Masaru Yoshizaki will be out for a while due to a back problem. Yoshizaki blossomed last season and manager Trey Hillman was looking for the youngster to become a rotation mainstay, but that will now obviously be put off.
Miscellaneous The Tokyo area Japanese Senior Little League season opened Sunday, with more than 8000 youngsters participating in a ceremony at Meiji Jingu Stadium to mark the occasion. The 12 and under Little League season opens on the 20th. Gambare!....
Shigeo Nagashima Mr. Giants is still progressing, though since it was Sunday, no rehab session was scheduled. But he did eat three square meals and is still moving
around in a wheelchair. He will be re-examined on Monday and will have another rehab session. Daiei skipper Sadaharu Oh indicated he may stop in to visit with his former Yomiuri teammate Monday.
In the News
Even With Stroke, Nagashima Still Larger Than Life
See story at: Yomiuri Shimbun Article
Valentine Talking Baseball
See story at: Asahi Shimbun Article
Ask Shingo
See story at: MLB.com Article
Japan to Play Tuneup Games Against Cuba
See story at: Japan Today Article
Marlins to Play in Italy?
See story at: Palm Beach Post Article
Marlins' Choi Swarmed by Korean Media
See story at: Miami Herald Article
No U.S. Presence in Olympic Baseball Tourney a Plus?
See story at: Houston Chronicle Article
