September 12th Fukuhara v Randolph - Akahoshi is injured

Once again Fukuhara started and once again he was abysmal. This time he lasted only three innings but really should never have been in the team. One wonders why he keeps on getting chance after chance when this year is a bad year for him. Kojima had one chance and pitched very nicely but hasn't been seen since. Surely, it would be better to give him more starts. Unless we start using the young talent we have we will not improve. Swallows also lost and so we remain 0.5 games behind them. Carp didn't play and so are now 0.5 games behind us. It's all very tight at the moment and the injury to Akahoshi didn't help. He is expected to be out for around 13 days. Scores

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

Starting lineups

BayStars
1. Shimozono (Centre)
2. Fujita (Short)
3. Uchikawa (Left)
4. Johnson (Third)
5. Saeki (First)
6. Yoshimura (Right)
7. Yamasaki (Second)
8. Takeyama (Catcher)
9. Randolph (Pitcher)

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

BayStars first started nicely for Fukuhara who retired the batters in order. Akahoshi led off Tigers first with a nice bunt hit and beat the throw to first. Hirano bunted him to second and then Toritani hit to left to set up runners on first and third. Kanemoto though struck out and Arai flew out and the innings was over. BayStars second was also quiet and maybe Fukuhara was going to have a good game. Randolph walked Kanoh with two outs in the Tigers second but then with Fukuhara next had no problems getting the final out. The BayStars third was where Tigers troubles began in earnest. Fukuhara walked walked Yamasaki. Two outs later he walked Shimozono and Fujita to load the bases. The next batter was Uchikawa who hit a deep flyball to right centre. Akahoshi dived for it and landed badly but this allowed time for all three runners to make home and Uchikawa to reach third 3-0 BayStars. Akahoshi had to be carried off the field and complained of general numbness. Hirano moved to centre and Mizuta was brought on to field second. Next batter was Johnson who grounded out to end the innings but BayStars had a nice lead. Randolph walked Toritani in Tigers third but once again Kanemoto struck out, this time ending the innings.

Tsutsui took the mound - replacing the ineffective Fukuhara who had thrown 50 pitches for his three innings. He retired the BayStars batters in order. Tigers fourth started with Arai grounding out. Sekimoto then took a dead ball from Randoph and then Asai hit a two base to left, runners on second and third. Kanoh grounded out to short but the runner was home 3-1 BayStars, runner on second. Takahashi (pinch hitter) flew out to end the innings. Egusa pitched BayStars fifth and retired the batters in order. However, Randolph ran into more trouble in Tigers fifth. Hirano engineered a bunt hit. Toritani hit to set up runners on first and third which brought up Kanemoto who made no mistake this time. His two base hit drove in another run 3-2 Tigers. Toritani though was out as he tried to go too far but Kanemoto made third safely. Arai flew out to end the innings and Tigers were closing in. Egusa returned for the BayStars sixth but this proved to be an innings too far for him. Uchikawa hit and then made third on Saeki's hit to right. Here, he dead balled Yoshimura (one hopes it was genuine this time) to load the bases. Mayumi then replaced him with Kanemura who promptly gave up a hit to Yamasaki. One runner was home but Kanoh successfully blocked the plate as Saeki came round and he was tagged out but 4-2 BayStars. Tigers sixth started with a Sekimoto walk. He though was rapidly out when he tried to steal second. The other two batters struck out.

Kanemura continued in the BayStars seventh and gave up a hit to Takeyama. Randolph tried to bunt him to second but was out with three failed bunts. Then Takeyama tried to steal second but was thrown out as Shimzono struck out. Lin (pinch hitter) led off Tigers seventh by getting on base as the result of a BayStars error. Katsuragi (pinch hitter) then walked and Tigers had runners on first and second with no outs. Hirano flew out but then Toritani lined out to second allowing the BayStars to catch the runner off base and end the innings. For BayStars eighth we saw the return of Watanabe who gave up a one out hit to Uchikawa (who was having a good night). However, Johnson hit into a double play and the innings was over. Randolph did not pitch the Tigers eighth. He had been unspectacular but solid and BayStars need more starts like that. His place was taken by Sanada who gave up a lead off hit to Kanemoto. Sekimoto also hit to set up runners on first and second but then the runners didn't get any further and the innings was scoreless. Watanabe also pitched BayStars ninth and gave up a hit to Yoshimura who didn't get beyond first. Tigers ninth was pitched by Yamaguchi who gave up a lead off hit to Nohara (pinch hitting and his first in the Central League). Unfortunately, a Hirano double play would end the innings. BayStars victory.

Tigers had wasted chances quite profligately but once again had suffered from the Fukuhara syndrome. BayStars had competed well and once they took the lead held on. The injury to Akahoshi is a big blow but it is encouraging to see Kanemoto hitting regularly now. Really though we need to see Fukuhara down in the second team again and one of the younger pitchers being given plenty of playing time.