Carter, Akiyama lead Lions past Buffaloes
TOKOROZAWA, Saitama -- The Seibu Lions started the season by virtually chasing fans off their bandwagon with near-daily losses.
Now fans are scurrying for seats because the Lions are playing like a team headed for the postseason.
Pinch-hitter Chris Carter dropped a clutch tie-breaking hit into center in the seventh, and Shogo Akiyama capped the four-run rally with a three-run blast as the Lions won their season-high fifth straight by topping the Orix Buffaloes 6-2 at Seibu Dome.
The Lions, who on July 26 to finally climbed into third place in the Pacific League, moved within a game of second-place Nippon Ham, which was idle. Seibu is now just 1.5 games behind front-running Lotte.
Hiroyuki Nakajima blasted his 10th homer, a solo shot in the first, to continue his hot July. He has reached double figures in longballs over nine consecutive seasons.
Takayuki Kishi held Orix to a run on four hits, three walks and two hit batters, while fanning seven for his first win in about a month. Orix's Lee Dae Ho drilled his league-leading 17th homer in the eighth, but Hideaki Wakui didn’t get a save, but shut things down in the ninth to close it out.
Carter, Akiyama lead Lions past Buffaloes
TOKOROZAWA, Saitama -- The Seibu Lions started the season by virtually chasing fans off their bandwagon with near-daily losses.
Now fans are scurrying for seats because the Lions are playing like a team headed for the postseason.
Pinch-hitter Chris Carter dropped a clutch tie-breaking hit into center in the seventh, and Shogo Akiyama capped the four-run rally with a three-run blast as the Lions won their season-high fifth straight by topping the Orix Buffaloes 6-2 at Seibu Dome.
The Lions, who on July 26 to finally climbed into third place in the Pacific League, moved within a game of second-place Nippon Ham, which was idle. Seibu is now just 1.5 games behind front-running Lotte.
Hiroyuki Nakajima blasted his 10th homer, a solo shot in the first, to continue his hot July. He has reached double figures in longballs over nine consecutive seasons.
Takayuki Kishi held Orix to a run on four hits, three walks and two hit batters, while fanning seven for his first win in about a month. Orix's Lee Dae Ho drilled his league-leading 17th homer in the eighth, but Hideaki Wakui didn’t get a save, but shut things down in the ninth to close it out.