The Orix Buffaloes seem to have been a better team since Terry Collins resigned. They have played well enough to put themselves into reasonable playoff contention, and they are breathing down the necks of the Hawks.
The pitching matchup was Satoshi Komatsu for the visiting Buffaloes against Hawks lefty Kenji Ohtonari, who has been stellar in the absence of Sugiuchi and Wada due to the Olympics.
Komatsu has pitched well against the Hawks this year, not only notching his first career victory at SoftBank's expense this season, but also having a 3-1 record against them this season coming into tonight's game.
However, neither Komatsu nor Ohtonari factored in the decision tonight. Instead, the goat horns (and the loss) fell on Hawks super closer Takahiro Mahara. Normally he is solid, whether in a save situation or not, but tonight he suffered his 1st loss of the season. A pair of singles in the top of the 9th by the dreaded gaijin tandem of Rhodes and Cabrera. Then, an attempted suicide squeeze bunt turned into the game-winning run, as Rhodes crossed the plate and Oze was out. A foul-out ended the inning, but the damage was done.
Offensively, all that the Hawks could muster was a 2-run home run from Hiroki Kokubo in the 5th, his 20th of the season to tie the game at 2.
Orix was able to muscle 2 runs across in the 4th and 5th innings. In the 4th, a single from Sakaguchi and a walk by Cabrera put 2 runners on, and a double play scored Sakaguchi to put the Buffaloes ahead, 1-0. The very next inning, the Buffaloes doubled their lead with a home run from Shimoyama.
Tomorrow, the Hawks take on the Buffaloes again. The Hawks will send Nagisa Arakaki (0-4, 4.66) against Kazuki Kondoh (6-7, 4.12).
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The pitching matchup was Satoshi Komatsu for the visiting Buffaloes against Hawks lefty Kenji Ohtonari, who has been stellar in the absence of Sugiuchi and Wada due to the Olympics.
Komatsu has pitched well against the Hawks this year, not only notching his first career victory at SoftBank's expense this season, but also having a 3-1 record against them this season coming into tonight's game.
However, neither Komatsu nor Ohtonari factored in the decision tonight. Instead, the goat horns (and the loss) fell on Hawks super closer Takahiro Mahara. Normally he is solid, whether in a save situation or not, but tonight he suffered his 1st loss of the season. A pair of singles in the top of the 9th by the dreaded gaijin tandem of Rhodes and Cabrera. Then, an attempted suicide squeeze bunt turned into the game-winning run, as Rhodes crossed the plate and Oze was out. A foul-out ended the inning, but the damage was done.
Offensively, all that the Hawks could muster was a 2-run home run from Hiroki Kokubo in the 5th, his 20th of the season to tie the game at 2.
Orix was able to muscle 2 runs across in the 4th and 5th innings. In the 4th, a single from Sakaguchi and a walk by Cabrera put 2 runners on, and a double play scored Sakaguchi to put the Buffaloes ahead, 1-0. The very next inning, the Buffaloes doubled their lead with a home run from Shimoyama.
Tomorrow, the Hawks take on the Buffaloes again. The Hawks will send Nagisa Arakaki (0-4, 4.66) against Kazuki Kondoh (6-7, 4.12).