This game was pitched by Fukuhara who didn't do too badly. Carp took the lead on a wild pitch in the first but Tigers equalized it in the fourth with a Sakurai sacrifice fly. Sakurai has been playing well, hitting, stealing (which is in line with Mayumi's aims) and fielding nicely. Mench, his competitor for right field, on the other hand is looking like another Tigers money down the drain project. Mench really does need to improve significantly to have any future beyond this year. Anyway Tigers messed things up in the bottom of the fourth, with two out and runners on first and third they allowed that carthorse Shima to steal home! Can you believe it? 2-1 Carp and that was the way the score stayed as the pitchers took over. Tigers batting had not been impressive apart from Toritani and Sakurai but Hasegawa (Carp's starter) had pitched well. There is a third game in this series tomorrow (22nd March)