Test game no 2 - Dragons overwhelmed.

This is the game where Lew Ford pretty much guaranteed his starting place as right fielder in Tigers lineup. It was also a stunning crushing of the Dragons.

The refurbished Koshien has a few problems - chiefly with the players bench. This is depressed into the ground with a 43 centimetre high fence in front of it. Behind the fence is a 1.3 metre drop (rather like the old Beecher's Brook at the Aintree horse racing course). A player trying for a foul fly could have a serious accident if they were not careful enough.

Tigers played their second trial game against the Dragons and had a good day to put it mildly. Line scores are suspended until I figure out how to get them laid out properly.

Starting lineups
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Saka (Second)
3. Imaoka (third)
4. Arai (First)
5. Ford (Right)
6. Toritani (Short)
7. Yano (Catcher)
8. Sakurai (Left)
9. Asai (DH)
Starting pitcher was Shimoyanagi

Dragons lineup was
1. Araki (Second)
2. Delarosa (Short)
3. Lee (DH)
4. Norihiro Nakamura (Third)
5. Hirata (Centre)
6. Tanishige (Catcher)
7. Yanagida (First)
8. Ueda (Left)
9. Fujii (Right)
Starting pitcher was Chen

Shimoyanagi lasted three innings but didn't give up any runs. In the first innings he gave up two hits but managed to win a double play and in the second innings it was two walks and a dead ball but managed to escape safely then in the third three strikeouts - explain that? Anyway Tigers didn't give up a run in their first three innings. It wasn't so good for Chen. The first innings was OK - a double play finished it but his troubles really started in the second.

Arai hit, Ford doubled, Toritani walked, Yano hit a sacrifice fly and then Sakurai hit a double which drove a run in, Asai took a dead ball and finally Saka hit driving a runner home - quite an eventful innings and 3-0 Tigers. Next innings Imaoka walked, then Ford doubled. Yano then hit the scoring double and Imaoka and Ford were both home 5-0 Tigers. Dragons hit back with a run in the fifth off Tamaki which made the score 5-1 to the Tigers.

Surprisingly Chen was not replaced until the sixth but had managed to keep the score down to 5-1. Ford hit his third hit of the day (three at bats, three hits, two of them doubles) in the fifth before being replaced. Tigers then had random hits until the eighth when the pitcher was Suzuki. There were 5 hits in this innings, Sekimoto (replacement first), then Toritani, Noguchi hit a two base which drove both batters in 7-1. Three more runs followed with Fujimoto being responsible for one and the others to Saka.

A very satisfactory result for the Tigers. Even though it was a practice match a 10-1 result was very welcome. Ford had his best game for Tigers and is practically assured of starting at right field though he may have to share sometimes with Sakurai.