Buffs Win 8 in a Row, Stalking Lions
Discussion in the NPB News forum
Comments
Johjima
[ Author: 1908 | Posted: Jun 12, 2002 10:28 AM
| HT Fan
]
That's bad new for the Hawks. Do you have more info on Kenji's injury? Is it a broken bone?
Re: Johjima
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jun 12, 2002 10:56 AM
| YBS Fan
]
My medical Japanese reading ability is rather poor, but I believe that his right collarbone may have a slight frature. "Hone ori" ("bone trouble", "pain") is all that is written in today's (June 12) paper, and I don't have yesterday's handy.
Oh, and while warming up for yesterday's game, "super rookie" Terahara pulled a muscle in his right thigh. Oh-kantoku made a quick change for the starting pitcher and had Terahara rest, icing his leg. He's not expected to be put on the DL.
Oh, and while warming up for yesterday's game, "super rookie" Terahara pulled a muscle in his right thigh. Oh-kantoku made a quick change for the starting pitcher and had Terahara rest, icing his leg. He's not expected to be put on the DL.
Re: Johjima
[ Author: Guest: Gary Garland | Posted: Jun 14, 2002 5:45 AM
]
Now is the time we get to see what this Hawks team is made of. Since Daiei's starting pitching has been a disaster the last month and Oh is facing the possibility of burning out his bullpen (especially Watanabe and Yoshida), with the loss of Johjima it will be interesting to see if they step it up. Matsunaka and Iguchi have yet to really get going, and Pedro Valdez has tailed off badly and was, in fact, benched for a game by Oh (and rightly so) for it. Morgan Burkhart is now in the minors, though I think Omichi will do fine in the DH slot.
During the Hawks' pennant run a couple of years ago, Matsunaka went out for about a month with an injury and Hiroki Kokubo really put the boot in, batting well over .400 to keep the Hawks going. If they don't start getting better starting pitching now and the offense continues to misfire, they will be out of it by early August.
During the Hawks' pennant run a couple of years ago, Matsunaka went out for about a month with an injury and Hiroki Kokubo really put the boot in, batting well over .400 to keep the Hawks going. If they don't start getting better starting pitching now and the offense continues to misfire, they will be out of it by early August.
More Bad News for Daiei
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jun 14, 2002 9:13 AM
| YBS Fan
]
It appears that Terahara will be put on the DL after all. Today's Nikkan Sports reports that the pain in Terahara's leg isn't going away, and in fact, has gotten worse.
The only good news is that, due to the reduced schedule for the World Cup this month, he won't be missing too many games.
The only good news is that, due to the reduced schedule for the World Cup this month, he won't be missing too many games.
Re: Johjima
[ Author: Guest: jordan | Posted: Oct 7, 2003 10:29 AM
]
When did the injury happen?
Re: Johjima
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Oct 7, 2003 11:07 PM
| YBS Fan
]
The timestamp of the original post was June of 2002. That was quite a long time ago.
About
This is a site about Pro Yakyu (Japanese Baseball), not about who the next player to go over to MLB is. It's a community of Pro Yakyu fans who have come together to share their knowledge and opinions with the world. It's a place to follow teams and individuals playing baseball in Japan (and Asia), and to learn about Japanese (and Asian) culture through baseball.
It is my sincere hope that once you learn a bit about what we're about here that you will join the community of contributors.
Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
Copyright (c) 1995-2024 JapaneseBaseball.com.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Some rights reserved.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Some rights reserved.
The Lions have put a 7 game winning streak together to overtake everybody with a commanding lead. However, the defending Pacific League champions Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes have been keeping pace with the front running Lions with an 8 game winning streak of their own. They trail by 3.5 games while the third place Fukuoka Daiei Hawks are 7 games back after losing to Nippon Ham last night (June 10).
But perhaps what's been most impressive about the Buffs' winning streak has been their pitching. Sure, Nori and Rhodes have been major contributors to the team's 37 runs over this winning streak, each being featured as heros as they reached 20 and 21 home runs respectively. But the real story has been the team's 180 degree turn in pitching since last year.
As most of you may remember, Kintetsu had the worst ERA in Japan last year, a whopping 4.98 runs per 9 innings. That's a 5 run handicap to overcome day after day! And they managed to do it. Over these past 8 games, though, Kintetsu pitchers have given up a mear 10 runs for an ERA of 1.09, shutting out the opposition three times including an 8-0 trampling of Lotte last night. It looks like things are really coming together for Kintetsu as of late.
Still, Seibu, always with good pitching, continues to scrape out wins. Last night, for instance, they managed to defeat Orix in the 12 inning without the assist of a single hit. With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the 12th, Little Matsui led off the inning drawing a walk. He was sacrificed to second. Then, with pinch-pinch hitter Suzuki Ken at the plate, Ihara-kantoku sent out the sign to steal from his spot in the third base coach's box. Orix reliever Imamura wasn't paying the swift Matsui any mind, and in to third he went. Suzuki then drove the ball deep enough to center to score Matsui from third, and that was the difference in the game.
Seibu has taken the last 6 contests against Orix, by the way. The only team the Lions don't have a winning record against so far this season is the Buffaloes.
So, which team is going to lose one first? Are we in for a two team race in the Pacific for the rest of the season? Or will Daiei (who lost their main catcher Johjima for 6 weeks on a foul tip last night, by the way) find an updraft to raise again?