May 4th Iwata v Yoshimi - Kubota screws up

This is a match that the Tigers should have won. However, Kubota made a mess of things. He has been bleeding runs this season and has not had the control he did have. It may be to do with his over use last season or may be something else. On a different topic - can someone clarify where the Tigers ninth run yesterday comes from? Line scores

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R  H E
Tigers  0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  0 2  7 0
Dragons 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1x 3 10 0

Starting lineups
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Arai (Right)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Katsuragi (Right)
6. Toritani (Short)
7. Noguchi (Catcher)
8. Sekimoto (Third)
9. Iwata (Pitcher)

Dragons
1. Araki (Second)
2. Ibata (Short)
3. Centre (Morino)
4. Woods (First)
5. Wada (Left)
6. Lee (Right)
7. Nakamura (Third)
8. Tanishige (Catcher)
9. Yoshimi (Pitcher)

The match started with nothing much an Arai hit in the first innings but no score. Dragons were retired in order in their first. The Tigers were retired in order in the second but the Dragons second was a bit more exciting. Wada had a two base (the first of three in the match). An out later Nakamura hit - runners on first and third with two outs. The final batter, Tanishige flew out to Toritani to end the innings. Tigers third was quiet but in the Dragons version Araki, then Ibata hit. Runners on first and second with one out. Iwata got the next two batters to fly out and end the innings. Hirano led off the Tigers fourth with a two base. Arai hit - runners on first and third with no outs. What is maybe surprising was that Hirano did not try for home. Next up Kanemoto who also hit 1-0 Tigers - runners on first and second with no outs. The next three batters found various ways to get themselves out. All a bit too cautious perhaps? Wada had his second two base as leadoff. Lee struck out and Nakamura hit a liner to Toritani. It was decided to walk Tanishige to get at Yoshimi who duly struck out to end the innings.

The Tigers fifth was quiet but the Dragons was anything but. Ibata hit, then Morino and Woods walked. Bases loaded one out. How would Iwata respond. He got Wada to fly out to Toritani and then Lee to ground out to first. End of innings. Kanemoto had his second hit in the sixth but it didn't generate anything. Dragons fell in order in the bottom and so to the seventh. The leadoff batter was Toritani. He hit to right and the ball sailed over the wall for a solo home run 2-0 Tigers. The next three batters did nothing. Watanabe took the Dragons seventh and retired the side in order. The Tigers eighth was pitched by Kobayashi and he also retired the Tigers subject to another Arai hit. The Dragons eighth was pitched by Kubota. He has been bleeding runs like anything recently and this innings wouldn't prove any different. He gave up a hit to Woods and then a two base to Wada. Runners on second and third with no outs. The next batter Lee struck out and then Nakamura (who so often does this when needed) hit a two base over Akahoshi. 2-2 scores level. Sorry, Kubota but this sort of thing has to stop. Tanishige lined out also catching Nakumura off base and the innings was over.

Iwase was next and had no problems with the Tigers ninth and then Okada went with Egusa. He walked Delarosa (pinch hitter) but then retired the next three batters to end the innings easily. I may have doubts about Egusa but at the moment he gives up less runs than Kubota. Chen pitched the Tigers tenth and retired the side in order and so to the Dragons tenth and Fujikawa. The first two batters fell easily enough and then Lee faced Kyuji. He managed to get hold of a pitch and put it over the fence for a home run. 3-2 Dragons. Dragons sayanora victory.

Dragons hadn't given up but one can't help going away with the impression that the Tigers had blown a win. Iwata and Watanabe had worked hard but Kubota had really not put in the necessary effort. It might be that at the moment he can't but then Okada should look at developing other relief pitchers who can pitch as well. Jeff Williams still isn't ready yet and really relying on Kubota is no longer an option.

Of course this game got cut off but I had a bad feeling even with the 2-0 lead. I thought Okada should have stuck with Iwata for a little longer. He ran into trouble with the bases loaded jam, but he's generally been good at getting out of trouble. Yeah, I don't trust Kubota anymore. When he's on he still looks great, but is just too wild and not the pitcher he was. Hopefully we can keep the Dragons from getting momemtum and take the rubber match tomorrow.

Dragons are good at grasping at straws and turning them into victories. Kubota worries me a lot. If this was just one occaision - fair enough these things happen. However, he has been giving up runs too regularly.

Kubota has been in a bit of a decline since losing his closer's role. I think it's a bit of a mental thing. He has the personality of a closer. It has to be one of the freakest injuries of all time when he was out, so you feel bad for him.

Wow, a victory with a home run. That's impressive.
YankeesDaily

You work really hard on this.
YankeesDaily

Many thanks - your site is very impressive as well.

First sayonara win for the Dragons this year!

Seems like post-injury, Kubota has become to the Tigers what Masafumi Hirai is on the Dragons (or ANY Rakuten or Seibu reliever )--the guy the team can never seem to depend on to hold the other team off. All of last year I said the inning to come back on the Tigers was the 7th, since Kubota had become the most vulnerable of JFK, and both Williams and Fujikawa were lights-out. Looks like Kubota hasn't yet come back.

Still, with the rotation the Tigers have going, the bullpen will get more rest this year.