Archived Weblog Entry - 04/24/2006: "Japanese Baseball News: Weekly Report"

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04/24/2006 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Weekly Report"

Japanese Baseball News: Weekly Report

Japanese Baseball News: The Monday Report By Glenn Davies,Tokyo Japan
Central League News
sb20060417j1b (44k image) The Yomiuri Giants kept their torrid pace going over the last week, battering opponents and holding leads like never before.The Giants just missed out on a sweep of their arch-rival Tigers in a 6-2 loss sunday giving Gary Glover (2-1)his first loss of the season. Kokubo and Lee are in excellent form and already have a combined 11HRs and 38 RBIs in the short campaign. The Tigers cant seem to find their feet and have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Tigers pitching has kept them in games but the offense needs to start putting it together more consistently. The Dragons split a series with the Carp and swept the Tigers over the week and look the most likely to challenge the Giants at this point.Hits in bunches and poor pitching has frozen Hiroshima to the cellar, they win one by 13 then give up 23 runs in 3 losses...Yokohama has shown signs of life winning 4 of their last 5.

Pacific League News
sb20060417j1a (37k image) The Lions almost swept Rakuten, taking 2 of 3 over the weekend and have started to build a handy lead in the Pacific. Cabrera and Wada have been hitting well and pitching solid in very close 1 run losses. Softbank continue to mount pressure on themselves and seem to be taking their average start badly. Three games against Rakuten this week should see their confidence come back and signal their intention to fight it out with the Lions for the league championship.Th Fighters have been the most positive surprise over the last week, winning 2 of 3 from the Marines and Buffaloes. Egusa, Hashimoto and Kanemura all pitching well for the Fighters.Feast or famine in 10-2 wins or 13-2 losses for the Buffaloes,their starting pitching has looked rocky. Rakuten starter Hideki Asai pitched a strong 7 inning shutout in a 1-0 win and week highlight for a floundering Eagles squad.

Batting Leaders
　
Central
Team Avg. AB HR RBI 　
Pacific
Team
Avg. AB HR RBI
1 Hamanaka Tigers .400 56 8 15 1 Fukuura Marines .415 93 1 13
2 Abe Giants .381 74 0 10 2 Nakajima Lions .341 101 4 15
3 Sheets Tigers .367 82 5 15 3 Ogasawara Fighters .326 103 3 12
4 Murata Baystars .353 81 7 23 4 Wada Lions .317 99 4 24
5 Kokubo Giants .343 78 6 20 5 Omura Hawks .316 107 1 13
Pitching Leaders
　
Central
Team ERA W L Sv 　
Pacific
Team ERA W L Sv
1 Utsumi Giants 0.72 3 0 0 1 Matsuzaka Lions 1.16 3 1 0
2 Powell Giants 1.04 3 0 0 2 Sugiuchi Hawks 1.60 4 0 0
3 Kawakami Dragons 1.13 2 1 0 3 Saitoh Hawks 1.72 2 1 0
4 Igawa Tigers 1.80 2 1 0 4 Shimizu Marines 2.03 2 2 0
5 Kuroda Carp 2.29 1 1 0 5 Yoshii Buffaloes 2.25 2 0 0
　
Foreign Player Stats
Batting Team Avg. AB HR RBI
Cabrera Hawks .314 98 1 11
Zuleta Hawks .254 76 5 12
Cabrera Lions .306 99 5 17
Short Eagles .328 67 0 8
Franco Marines .229 79 1 4
Agbayani Marines .281 103 4 19
Fernandez Eagles .218 89 5 9
Marcias Fighters .264 94 2 10
Seguignol Fighters .239 101 5 11
Woods Dragons .218 66 3 10
Ochoa Dragons .328 63 4 10
Sheets Tigers .367 82 5 15
Ramirez Swallows .268 73 3 9
Riggs Swallows .235 56 2 9
Pasccuici Marines .171 42 1 5
LaRocca Swallows .295 70 4 11
Pitching Team ERA W L Sv
Beirne Marines 7.45 2 2 0
Thomas Fighters 4.82 0 0 0
Lee Fighters 3.27 2 2 0
Davey Buffaloes 3.12 2 1 0
Sefarini Buffaloes 8.24 0 3 0
Carrasco Hawks 17.18 0 2 0
Graman Lions 3.81 2 1 0
Martinez Dragons 3.38 1 2 0
Guttormson Swallows 4.05 0 2 0
Bale Carp 0.00 0 0 4
Douglass Carp 3.09 2 2 0
Romano Carp 7.20 0 1 0
Beverlin BayStars 7.20 0 0 0
Kroon BayStars 5.00 0 0 2
Glover Giants 6.43 2 1 0
Powell Giants 1.04 3 0 0
Oxspring Tigers 2.81 0 0 0
Sonia BayStars 2.25 1 0 1
Domingo Dragons 5.19 1 1 0
Diaz Fighters 3.00 0 1 0
2006 Standings
Central W L T Pct% GB
Pacific
W L T Pct% GB
Yomiuri Giants 15 4 1 .789 - Seibu Lions 15 8 0 .652 -
Chunichi Dragons 9 5 1 .643 3.5 Softbank Hawks 12 10 1 .545 2.5
Hanshin Tigers 8 9 1 .471 6.0 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 13 11 0 .542 2.5
Yakult Swallows 7 10 0 .412 7.0 Orix Buffaloes 12 11 1 .522 3.0
Yokohama Bay Stars 6 11 2 .353 8.0 Chiba Lotte Marines 11 13 0 .458 4.5
Hiroshima Carp 6 12 1 .333 8.5 Rakuten Eagles 6 16 0 .273 8.5

Central League News
		The Yomiuri Giants kept their torrid pace going over the last week, battering opponents and holding leads like never before.The Giants just missed out on a sweep of their arch-rival Tigers in a 6-2 loss sunday giving Gary Glover (2-1)his first loss of the season. Kokubo and Lee are in excellent form and already have a combined 11HRs and 38 RBIs in the short campaign. The Tigers cant seem to find their feet and have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Tigers pitching has kept them in games but the offense needs to start putting it together more consistently. The Dragons split a series with the Carp and swept the Tigers over the week and look the most likely to challenge the Giants at this point.Hits in bunches and poor pitching has frozen Hiroshima to the cellar, they win one by 13 then give up 23 runs in 3 losses...Yokohama has shown signs of life winning 4 of their last 5.

Pacific League News
		The Lions almost swept Rakuten, taking 2 of 3 over the weekend and have started to build a handy lead in the Pacific. Cabrera and Wada have been hitting well and pitching solid in very close 1 run losses. Softbank continue to mount pressure on themselves and seem to be taking their average start badly. Three games against Rakuten this week should see their confidence come back and signal their intention to fight it out with the Lions for the league championship.Th Fighters have been the most positive surprise over the last week, winning 2 of 3 from the Marines and Buffaloes. Egusa, Hashimoto and Kanemura all pitching well for the Fighters.Feast or famine in 10-2 wins or 13-2 losses for the Buffaloes,their starting pitching has looked rocky. Rakuten starter Hideki Asai pitched a strong 7 inning shutout in a 1-0 win and week highlight for a floundering Eagles squad.

Batting Leaders
	Central	Team	Avg.	AB	HR	RBI		Pacific	Team	Avg.	AB	HR	RBI
1	Hamanaka	Tigers	.400	56	8	15	1	Fukuura	Marines	.415	93	1	13
2	Abe	Giants	.381	74	0	10	2	Nakajima	Lions	.341	101	4	15
3	Sheets	Tigers	.367	82	5	15	3	Ogasawara	Fighters	.326	103	3	12
4	Murata	Baystars	.353	81	7	23	4	Wada	Lions	.317	99	4	24
5	Kokubo	Giants	.343	78	6	20	5	Omura	Hawks	.316	107	1	13

Pitching Leaders
	Central	Team	ERA	W	L	Sv		Pacific	Team	ERA	W	L	Sv
1	Utsumi	Giants	0.72	3	0	0	1	Matsuzaka	Lions	1.16	3	1	0
2	Powell	Giants	1.04	3	0	0	2	Sugiuchi	Hawks	1.60	4	0	0
3	Kawakami	Dragons	1.13	2	1	0	3	Saitoh	Hawks	1.72	2	1	0
4	Igawa	Tigers	1.80	2	1	0	4	Shimizu	Marines	2.03	2	2	0
5	Kuroda	Carp	2.29	1	1	0	5	Yoshii	Buffaloes	2.25	2	0	0

Central	W	L	T	Pct%	GB	Pacific	W	L	T	Pct%	GB
Yomiuri Giants	15	4	1	.789	-	Seibu Lions	15	8	0	.652	-
Chunichi Dragons	9	5	1	.643	3.5	Softbank Hawks	12	10	1	.545	2.5
Hanshin Tigers	8	9	1	.471	6.0	Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters	13	11	0	.542	2.5
Yakult Swallows	7	10	0	.412	7.0	Orix Buffaloes	12	11	1	.522	3.0
Yokohama Bay Stars	6	11	2	.353	8.0	Chiba Lotte Marines	11	13	0	.458	4.5
Hiroshima Carp	6	12	1	.333	8.5	Rakuten Eagles	6	16	0	.273	8.5