October 17th Climax Series Game 2 - Kubo v Asai

With the batting failing in Game One it was the turn of the pitching to blow things. This they duly did in grand time squandering a four run lead in a self-destruct which recalled the Tigers of old. The culprit was once again Kyuji Fujikawa (with help from Kubota) about whom serious questions do need to be asked. Another failure in a vital game surely suggests problems with his ability to cope with the pressure at the moment. And yes it is time to put old Kubo out to grass. A new pitching coach with new ideas is needed to prevent these sort of things happening. Kanemoto sat out the whole game and didn't even make it to the bench. A rest was a necessity and with plans to bring him back next season he does need to do something about his shoulder. So Giants didn't so much win the game as Tigers throw it away. Scores

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R  H E
Giants  0 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 0 7 14 1
Tigers  2 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 6 10 2

Starting lineups

Giants
1. Sakamoto (Short)
2. Kamei (First)
3. Ogasawara (Third
4. Ramirez (Left)
5. Abe (Catcher)
6. Takahashi (Right)
7. Chono (Centre)
8. Furuki (Second)
9. Asai (Pitcher)

Tigers
1. Murton (Right)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Arai (Third)
5. Johjima (Catcher)
6. Brazell (First)
7. Sakurai (Left)
8. Shunsuke Fujikawa (Centre)
9. Kubo (Pitcher)

Mayumi shuffled the lineup to put Murton back in the lead off slot and Toritani at third - a definite improvement. Hara decided to try Asai who had done well against Tigers in the regular season. This turned out to be a mistake as Asai was vulnerable to the right handers. This would rapidly become clear. Giants didn't start well overall, their batters did nothing in the first and Kubo retired them in order. Murton started with a hit to right. Hirano bunted him to second but Toritani struck out looking. This wasn't a very good reflection on Tigers short - he shouldn't have left the final pitch. Arai followed and punched the ball into right for a timely hit 1-0 Tigers, runner on first. Johjima hit to centre to set up runners on first and third and then Brazell hit to right 2-0 Tigers, runners on first and third. Sakurai followed and walked which loaded the bases but unfortunately brought up Shunsuke Fujikawa who grounded out to third. Fujikawa would prove ineffective the whole game and would make a big error as well. Giants who were just as fired up tried to get back into the game with a Ramirez hit to lead off the second. Abe hit into a double play but Takahashi was able to get a hit off Kubo. Chono hit and Furuki took a dead ball to load the bases. Here Hara sent in Lee, pinch hitting for Asai. He flew out to short and the Tigers had weathered the first storm. This meant a new pitcher for Tigers second which turned out to be Greisinger. He gave up a one out hit to Murton but nothing came of this. Sakamoto led off Giants third with a hit but then had to stand watching from first as Kubo struck out the next three Giants swinging. Tigers wasted no time in capitalising on this nice pitching. Arai started their third with a two base hit and then made third on a wild pitch. Johjima hit straight to third for the line out and Arai had to stay on base. Brazell was deliberately walked to get at Sakurai. He hit deep into right and Arai was home 3-0 Tigers, runner on first. Things were looking very comfortable.

In Giants fourth Takahashi hit a two base with one out. Chono grounded out to move him to third but once again the Giants couldn't convert and Furuki also grounded out ending the innings. Tigers fourth was quiet with the batters falling in order. Giants didn't look in the game at all and needed a bit of assistance from Tigers who duly supplied it. Matsumoto led off the Giants fifth by striking out but Sakamoto hit. Kamei hit a straightforward grounder to second which would have been an innings ending double play but Hirano messed this up and Giants had runners on first and second. Ogasawara who did well the previous game hit into right to bring Sakamoto home 3-1 Tigers, runners on first and third. Ramirez hit deep for the sacrifice fly 3-2 Tigers, runner on first. Abe hit to left but Takahashi struck out to end the innings. Kubo had held the lead but only just. Micheal took over for Tigers fifth and as is usual didn't prosper against Tigers batters. Toritani hit to centre and then with Arai out Johjima hit a grounder to Sakamoto who made one of his characteristic mess ups allowing runners on first and third. Brazell banged one deep into centre and Toritani was home on the sacrifice fly 4-2 Tigers, runner on second and Tigers had a margin again. Sakurai worked the count full and hit to Sakamoto who this time got it right to end the innings. Kubo returned for Giants sixth and gave up a hit to Tani (pinch hitter) but that was all. Takagi replaced Micheal for Tigers sixth and started by walking Shunsuke Fujikawa. Mayumi then sent Uemoto to the mound to pinch hit for Kubo. Uemoto bunted - this was a total waste of time. Why use one of your pinch hitters when you could have used Kubo? Besides Kubo could have pitched the seventh comfortably, there was no need to replace him even if there was going to be a pitching change. Anyway Takagi deliberately walked Murton to set up the double play. Hirano though hit nicely to left centre into the sweet spot and tore round the bases. Both runners were home 6-2 Tigers, runner on third. Toritani could have added another run but grounded out to the pitcher and then Arai struck out swinging. Still Tigers were secure one thought.

With Kubo out of the picture Kubota took the mound. He got Kamei but Ogasawara got lucky and hit into the corner for a two base. Ramirez grounded out to first moving the runner to third and here Hirano messed up again. Another straightforward grounder went down and Ogasawara was home 6-3 Tigers, runner on first. Next was Takahashi who swung wildly and deposited the ball into the right stand for a two run home run 6-5 Tigers. Kubota had been unlucky in the extreme but Takahashi was in the Giants lineup just for that purpose - to ride his luck and get runs. Chono hit and then Furuki flew out to centre to end the innings. The lead was still intact but Tigers incompetence had almost blown it. Ochi pitched Tigers seventh and with two out gave up a hit to Asai (replacement right). Shunsuke Fujikawa drew a walk but Hiyama (pinch hitter) struck out and Tigers couldn't add to the score. Still a one run lead and Kyuji Fujikawa next. However, he was to prove fallible as well. He got the first two outs of the Giants eighth and then walked Kamei. Up popped Ogasawara to drive another two base to right and set up runners on second and third. Still he faced Ramirez who can normally be relied on to strike out in these situations. Kyuji Fujikawa looked insecure and unsure and his pitch was poor. Ramirez had to stretch but hit it into centre beyond Hirano's drive. Shunsuke Fujikawa came in fast but screwed up the pick up and overran the ball. This wasn't ruled an error and maybe if he had picked up the second run wouldn't have scored but as it was there were two runners home 7-6 Giants. Kyuji Fujikawa had blown another vital match and one really has to question his temperament in these situations. Ramirez was pinch run for by Suzuki but Abe grounded out to end the innings. The Tigers had blown a four run lead through poor pitching and fielding incompetence. Murton grounded out to start Tigers eighth and then Hara switched Ochi for Yamaguchi. He gave up a hit to Toritani but nothing came of this. Kyuji Fujikawa returned for Giants ninth and was very lucky to escape with no damage. With one out he walked Chono. Yamaguchi bunted him to second and then Fujikawa walked Wakiya (replacement second) and Sakamoto to load the bases. Kamei hit to centre and flew out to end the innings but it had been close. Tigers ninth was an anticlimax with the batters falling in order - Tigers had lost.

A dismal collapse by supposedly elite pitchers who couldn't handle the situation they found themselves in. Tigers didn't have the motivation and the commitment of the Giants and one has to liken them to a team of dilettantes who fade when things get tough. There are serious problems with Kyuji Fujikawa and it doesn't matter how good his previous service is if he continues to blow the vital games. Fielding was not up to standard either particularly Hirano but also the poor Shunsuke Fujikawa who should not be in the starting lineup at all. The latter adds nothing to the side. Once again Tigers had failed in a post season series (they do this regularly) and Mayumi had had no effect at all but then it was never realistically expected that he would.