July 29th Iwata v Mastny - A much better performance

After a long patch in the doldrums both Arai and Kanemoto made big contributions, producing almost all the Tigers runs. Whilst it is too soon to say if this pressages a revival it was nice to see even if it was only one game and against the BayStars. Mastny started the game but unlike his previous two outings was hopeless and lasted only three innings. Iwata was much improved and picked up the complete game shutout albeit with a little bit of luck at times. Kanoh was the catcher and it seems that Mayumi currently wants 50% Yano and 50% Kanoh. Tigers have won their first two games back from the break but their next opponents are the Giants and they will prove a much truer test of whether there is an improvement. Scores

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R  H E
BayStars  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  7 0
Tigers    2 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 X 8 15 0

Starting lineups

BayStars
1. Kinjoh (Centre)
2. Nishi (Second)
3. Uchikawa (Left)
4. Murata (Third)
5. Saeki (First)
6. Yoshimura (Right)
7. Takeyama (Catcher)
8. Fujita (Short)
9. Mastny (Pitcher)

Tigers
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Sekimoto (Second)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Arai (Third)
6. Brazell (First)
7. Kanoh (Catcher)
8. Hirano (Right)
9. Iwata (Pitcher)

Iwata would need some careful coaxing from Kanoh but was a much improved pitcher. Still he had his share of luck. He started BayStars first with a two base hit to Kinjoh and it did look like he would be just as bad as he had been in previous outings. Nishi's ground out took Kinjoh to third but Uchikawa could only ground out to Arai preventing the sacrifice and getting the second out. Iwata then struck out Murata to end the innings without a score. Mastny did not have luck or location. He has been quite effective against Tigers batters but this game they had his number. He started by dead balling Akahoshi. Sekimoto hit to left and then with runners on first and third Toritani hit to centre. Akahoshi was home 1-0 Tigers, runners on first and second. Kanemoto then hit to right 2-0 Tigers runners on first and third, Toritani having moved nicely round. Arai flew out to centre but not far enough and Brazell managed to hit into a double play to end the innings. BayStars second saw Iwata still in a shakey mode. He walked Saeki and then Yoshimura tried a bunt hit to third. This worked very well and BayStars had runners on first and second with no outs. Takeyama was next and he hit straight to Toritani for a double play - Saeki making third safely. Fujita then flew out to first and the innings was over. Once again Iwata had escaped. Kanoh led off Tigers second with a hit but it was Hirano's turn to hit into a double play this time to second. Of course Iwata struck out and the innings was over. With two out in the BayStars third, Nishi hit to left. This was followed by an Uchikawa hit to centre and BayStars had runners on first and third. Once again they lacked the vital batter to drive in the runner, Murata striking out for the second time. Akahoshi, who has been much better these past two games, started Tigers third with a hit. He was bunted to second by Sekimoto but Toritani flew out. Mastny walked Kanemoto which brought up Arai who hit powerfully to left for a 3 run home run 5-0 Tigers. Brazell grounded out and the innings was over. It was also the end of Mastny who hadn't been able to produce his old form against the Tigers at all this match.

Saeki led off BayStars fourth with a hit but Yoshimura followed with a line out to short. Takeyama then hit at Toritani who failed to take but the ball bounced kindly into Sekimoto's glove for another double play and that innings was over. BayStars new pitcher was Takahashi who did quite well. He gave up a hit to Hirano but nothing came of this. Fujita led off BayStars fifth with a hit and was bunted to secong by Takahashi. He reached third on Kinjoh's ground out but then Iwata got Nishi to fly out and end the innings. Iwata was, by now, pitching more confidently and would allow only one more hit. Toritani hit in the Tigers fifth and with two out Arai also singled. Brazell though didn't produce and that innings was quiet. BayStars sixth started with Uchikawa's second hit of the night. Saeki walked to set up runners on first and second but you sensed that the BayStars didn't really believe they could score and so it proved with Yoshimura lining out and Takeyama striking out. Tigers sixth was quiet with all three batters falling in order.

Iwata walked Fujita to start BayStars seventh but this was the last BayStar to get on base. Kuwahara (pinch hitter) then hit into another double play and Kinjoh struck out to end the innings. Takahashi was replaced by Kudoh for the Tigers seventh and maybe he's getting too old to continue. He was not successful at all - Akahoshi fell but then Sekimoto hit. Toritani followed this with a hit which brought up Kanemoto. He hammered his first pitch over the centre fence for a three run home run 8-0 Tigers. Kanemoto had four RBIs in this game and it has been a long time since he did this. One can hope he has woken from his slump. Arai grounded out but then Brazell hit (his first after the all star break) and Kanoh followed with another hit. At this point Kudoh left the mound to be replaced by Oyamada. The pitching change was successful and Hirano struck out to end the innings but Tigers were out of sight. At this point, Iwata had thrown 104 pitches but came back for more, would Mayumi over pitch him? It wasn't a problem as the fight had gone out of the BayStars. All three batters in the eighth grounded out. In Tigers eighth Yamato (replacement second) hit and then moved to second on a wild pitch but no run resulted. So staring a complete game shutout in the face Iwata retuned for the ninth. Saeki grounded out to Toritani, Yoshimura struck out and then Kurobane (replacement catcher) grounded out to end the innings. Tigers victory

Tigers won their second game in a row on a much better performance. Iwata rode his luck but pitched more to his potential helped by Kanoh's excellent calling. The clean up batters performed brilliantly with Kanemoto driving in four runs and Arai three. All in all a much better performance than the night before but can Tigers maintain it?