Sayonara Failed Communication

The BayStars took on the Hanshin Tigers for the second game of the opening weekend series at Osaka Kyocera Dome on Saturday.

Yokohama struck first with a pair of runs off of Hanshin starter Uezono in the sixth. Ishikawa led off the inning with a double up the middle. A walk and a balk then set up a sacrifice fly for Uchikawa, and Yokohama was on the board first. Murata followed that up with a double to left, driving in another run with yet another timely hit this season. (Does he already have more timelies than last season? It seems that way.)

Unfortunately, this 2-0 lead doesn't last very long. The Tigers answer with 3 in the bottom half of the sixth, aided by Yokohama's Terahara being late covering first on pinch hitter Kanoh's grounder to first. That was followed by a double, triple, and sacrifice fly for three runs, only one earned.

The BayStars tied things up in the top of the eighth with just one hit. Ishikawa led off with his second double of the game (I'm quite pleased with the number of extra-base hits we're getting this year). Hayakawa sacrificed him over to third, and Uchikawa hit his second sacrifice fly to right of the game. So we're tied up 3-3.

Ushida took over on the mound for Terahara in the seventh and worked two perfect innings. Yamaguchi, returning to his role as closer after the experiment with Bootcheck in that role failed to produce any kind of feelings of confidence, pitched the nineth and tenth. Johjima's long fly ball to center to end the nineth was a bit scarry, as was bases loaded with one down in the tenth. But Yamaguchi got through it.

Then came the Hanshin eleventh. Kizuka was brought in on the mound and dispatched Kanemoto on a foul fly and Arai on a pop out to right. Johjima, 1 for 4 so far on the afternoon, came up next. According to Nikkan Sports, Obana called for a squatting intentional walk of the previous night's hero who almost reached the center field wall his last at bat. Hashimoto, following those instructions, took two balls outside before Johjima contacted the third one, high and away. It looked just like the previous at bat off the bat, but this time it landed just a couple meters farther, on the other side of Osaka Dome's high center field wall. Johjima, with his team surrounding home plate as he came in, dove in head first to touch home before being pummelled by his team mates. Kizuka just squats down on the mound, still looking at where the ball disappeared in center in disbelief.

While the sign to walk Johjima was understood by Hashimoto, it was not passed on to Kizuka, and Kizuka came in too close. The result, a double Black Star for opening up the season.

On the bright side, Hanshin's #3, 4, and 5 batters went 2 for 13, Kanemoto a big 四タコ (0 for 4, but with a sac fly). Ushida looked good and Yamaguchi got himself out of his own jam. The BayStars stayed in this one all the way to the end. And along the line of reducing walks, Terahara walked only one as did Yamaguchi. Two over 11 innings is much better than Friday's 6 over 8 innings.

The BayStars need to find a way to not lose to Johjima again.