I was surprised to find that the Tigers play four games against the Buffaloes in Open Sen. Anyway today was the third game in the series played under PL rules. Tigers starting lineup was:-
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Hiyama (DH)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Arai (First)
5. Imaoka (Third)
6. Katsuragi (Right)
7. Sakurai (Left)
8. Noguchi (Catcher)
9. Fujimoto (Second)
Starting pitcher was Uezono.
Orix started with
1. Sakaguchi (Centre)
2. Goto (Second)
3. Larocca (Third)
4. Rhodes (DH)
5. Cabrera (First)
6. Hamanaka (Right)
7. Mukae (Left)
8. Hidaka (Catcher)
9. Obiki (Short)
Starting pitcher was Kaneko
Kaneko was strong and did very well once again. He pitched 4 innings and gave up no hits with only one walk. Unfortunately, Uezono wasn't strong and was only average. He gave up two runs and lasted 3 innings. In fact he got into trouble in the second innings loading the bases after giving up one run with one out. A left fly and short liner finished the innings. Buffaloes should have had more. However, next innings he gave up a home run to Larocca and Buffaloes were 2-0 up.
Iwata followed Uezono and didn't give up any runs in his two innings so all was OK except that Tigers were 2 runs down. However, in the 5th Kaneko handed over to Motoyanagi and the first three Tigers batters he faced jumped all over him. Imaoka hammered out a home run, Katsuragi hit and then Sakurai knocked over another home run 3-2 Tigers. Iwata held this lead until the sixth when an Imaoka error allowed a runner on base and Orix batted him in levelling the score.
Shoda replaced Iwata and got into trouble in the seventh but managed to get out of it with no damage. The eighth was eventful - Fujimoto got a rare hit (a two base no less). Ford pinch hit and drove him home 4-3 Tigers, and then was replaced by Ohshiro as a pinch runner. Toritani tried to steal second and was thrown out. Bottom of the ninth Tigers were leading 4-3 with Daiyu Kanemura closing. He gave up a hit to Moriyama who stole second and then was batted in by Muramatsu 4-4. This is where the game ended.
Tigers had been out hit by the Buffaloes (10-5) but had made better use of their opportunities. Imaoka hit again, Sakurai also showed how dangerous he is with runners on and Fujimoto did well. Rhodes was supposed to start for the Buffaloes but didn't. Tiger's pitching still hasn't risen above ordinary and one hopes this will change by the beginning of the real season. Tomorrow is another game between Buffaloes and Tigers and then Tigers play SoftBank on Monday.
Regarding Rhodes' Start
[ Author:
westbaystars | Posted: Mar 2, 2008 9:10 AM
| Posts: 35252
| From: Yokohama, Japan
| YBS Fan
| Registered: Aug, 2001
]
Rhodes was scheduled to start as the designated hitter for Orix in the #4 spot, but experienced a "strange feeling" in his right knee just before the game. Furuki pinch hit for Rhodes to lead off the second inning.
Rhodes iced his knee. He was removed from the lineup as a precautionary measure with just three weeks before the start of the season.
Source: March 2, 2008 Nikkan Sports (paper edition)
Previous Topic
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Hiyama (DH)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Arai (First)
5. Imaoka (Third)
6. Katsuragi (Right)
7. Sakurai (Left)
8. Noguchi (Catcher)
9. Fujimoto (Second)
Starting pitcher was Uezono.
Orix started with
1. Sakaguchi (Centre)
2. Goto (Second)
3. Larocca (Third)
4. Rhodes (DH)
5. Cabrera (First)
6. Hamanaka (Right)
7. Mukae (Left)
8. Hidaka (Catcher)
9. Obiki (Short)
Starting pitcher was Kaneko
Kaneko was strong and did very well once again. He pitched 4 innings and gave up no hits with only one walk. Unfortunately, Uezono wasn't strong and was only average. He gave up two runs and lasted 3 innings. In fact he got into trouble in the second innings loading the bases after giving up one run with one out. A left fly and short liner finished the innings. Buffaloes should have had more. However, next innings he gave up a home run to Larocca and Buffaloes were 2-0 up.
Iwata followed Uezono and didn't give up any runs in his two innings so all was OK except that Tigers were 2 runs down. However, in the 5th Kaneko handed over to Motoyanagi and the first three Tigers batters he faced jumped all over him. Imaoka hammered out a home run, Katsuragi hit and then Sakurai knocked over another home run 3-2 Tigers. Iwata held this lead until the sixth when an Imaoka error allowed a runner on base and Orix batted him in levelling the score.
Shoda replaced Iwata and got into trouble in the seventh but managed to get out of it with no damage. The eighth was eventful - Fujimoto got a rare hit (a two base no less). Ford pinch hit and drove him home 4-3 Tigers, and then was replaced by Ohshiro as a pinch runner. Toritani tried to steal second and was thrown out. Bottom of the ninth Tigers were leading 4-3 with Daiyu Kanemura closing. He gave up a hit to Moriyama who stole second and then was batted in by Muramatsu 4-4. This is where the game ended.
Tigers had been out hit by the Buffaloes (10-5) but had made better use of their opportunities. Imaoka hit again, Sakurai also showed how dangerous he is with runners on and Fujimoto did well. Rhodes was supposed to start for the Buffaloes but didn't. Tiger's pitching still hasn't risen above ordinary and one hopes this will change by the beginning of the real season. Tomorrow is another game between Buffaloes and Tigers and then Tigers play SoftBank on Monday.