July 6th Uezono v Yoshimi - The game Tigers shouldn't have won

This game saw the Tigers extend their winning streak to six games and sweep the BayStars. A much stronger performance by the Yokohama players had seen them play themselves into a position for victory and then lose it all in the ninth. Williams was to blame on the Tigers side in an absolutely awful eighth innings performance. Tigers batting was just too powerful though and showed the strenghth of the side. Line scores

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R  H E
Tigers   0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 8 12 0
BayStars 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 7 12 0

Starting lineups

1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Sekimoto (Second)
3. Arai (First)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Lin (Right)
6. Toritani (Short)
7. Noguchi (Catcher)
8. Baldris (Third)
9. Uezono (Pitcher)

BayStars
1. Ozeki (Right)
2. Nishi (Second)
3. Uchikawa (First)
4. Murata (Third)
5. Bigbie (Left)
6. Kinjoh (Centre)
7. Ishikawa (Short)
8. Aikawa (Catcher)
9. Yoshimi (Pitcher)

Akahoshi started with a hit and was bunted to second by Sekimoto in the pattern we've all become familiar with. The innings ended scoreless though. For BayStars their start was very nice. Ozeki hit and was bunted to second by Nishi. Then Uchikawa walked and Murata stepped up to the plate. He hit to centre 1-0 BayStars and runners on first and second with one out. Bigbie was next but hit into a double play to end the innings. Tigers response as is so often the case these days was immediate. Lin hit and Toritani walked which brought up Noguchi. He hammered a three run home run which must have been off a pretty bad pitch as Noguchi is a very light hitter still 3-1 Tigers. Two outs later Akahoshi walked and then stole second but Sekimoto struck out to end the innings. The BayStars second was quiet with the batters falling in order. Tigers third was also exciting, Arai and then Kanemoto hit. Lin struck out but then Toritani hit to right and this should have been a run but once again Wada held up the runner on third. Next batter was Noguchi and just to prove that lightning doesn't strike twice he grounded into a double play. BayStars third was also quiet and you began to think that Tigers had established control over the game.

This impression was further reinforced when Baldris hit a solo home run, his first of his career 4-1 Tigers. The rest of the batters did nothing and the action moved to the BayStars fourth. Here Uezono ran into trouble. Uchikawa and Murata both hit setting up runners on first and third with no outs. Next batter was Bigbie who hit into his second double play but Uchikawa was home 4-2 Tigers. Yoshimura (replacement right) had a two base hit but the next batter, Ishikawa, grounded out to end the innings. Both Tigers and BayStars fifth innings were quiet with Yoshimura exiting the game after the fifth. Tigers sixth was a wasted chance. BayStars pitcher was Kuwahara and like the day before he was not comfortable. He walked Toritani who was bunted to second by Noguchi. Toritani then stole third - a rare success and Kuwahara dead balled Baldris, exit Kuwahara. Yamakita was the next pitcher and he faced Yano who hit into the requesite double play to end the innings.

Watanabe replaced Uezono. Uezono had pitched quite well but would not figure in the decision as Watanabe would blow the lead. First he walked Nishi and then got the next two outs. Next batter was Bigbie who hammered a two base and Nishi scampered home 4-3 Tigers. Then Yoshimura also slammed a two base and Bigbie was home 4-4 scores level. Finally Ishikawa struck out and the innings was over. Watanabe had not done well. The BayStars pitcher for Tigers seventh was Yoshihara and he got the three outs he needed without much trouble. By now Okada had reached JFK and Kubota gave up a hit to Yoshihara of all people in the BayStars seventh but then got the final two outs to exit the innings without trouble. Yoshihara continued in the Tigers eighth and gave up a leadoff hit to Kanemoto. Lin grounded out but Toritani walked and Tigers had runners on first and second. The next batter Hiyama (pinch hitter) hit into a double play and the chance was lost.

The second stage of JFK came into play for the BayStars eighth but Williams was awful. The leadoff batter Uchikawa hit. Then Murata hit. Bigbie hit another two base 5-4 BayStars - runners on second and third with no outs. Yoshimura struck out but then Ohnishi (pinch hitter) hit a two base 7-4 BayStars. Wiliams then walked Aikawa - runners on first and second with one out. Niinuma struck out and Ozeki flew out to end the innings but it had been a bad one for the Tigers and it looked like the BayStars had seized a well earned victory. Tigers ninth and the BayStars closer Terahara. He still has a long way to go before he becomes a top closer and this innings would demonstrate how far. It started with Baldris striking out. Then Yano hit but Akahoshi grounded out - two outs runner on first. Sekimoto though hit a two base and Yano rounded the bases for home 7-5 BayStars. Arai was next and he also had a two base with Sekimoto home 7-6 BayStars. Next batter Kanemoto who launched a huge swing at his second pitch. The ball flew to left for a two run home run 8-7 Tigers, back in the lead. Lin grounded out but the BayStars were stunned. After the excitment of the last two innings the BayStars ninth was a bit of an anticlimax with Fujikawa easily dismissing the BayStars batters in order. Tigers victory.

A quite remarkable victory in which both Tigers and BayStars relief pitchers had melted down spectacularly. Fujikawa took the victory rather than the save and Uezono missed out on this one.