August 17th Standridge v Fukui - More poor play

Once again Fujii was replaced early, this time after the sixth. This makes the second game in a row our catcher has been replaced. It seems that there is something wrong. Standridge fell apart in the fifth and Fujii then compounded the problem as this game was easily winnable against a second rate outfit. As Fujii is basically our senior catcher we are in trouble if this continues. The management have really screwed up on the catching. However, Tigers batting sad to say did not perform and we are seeing a standard late shi no rodo performance. The team stops trying and takes a holiday. The B class teams have a chance to catch up and take games of Tigers and apart from a few pitchers Carp are clearly B class. Tigers cannot compete for and win the pennant if they do not beat these teams. It is all very well beating the Swallows but if you don't beat the minnows you don't close the gap. This game can only be considered a wasted chance. Scores

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

Starting lineups

Carp
1. Higashide (Second)
2. Kimura (Short)
3. Amaya (Centre)
4. Kurihara (First)
5. Maru (Right)
6. Barden (Third)
7. Shima (Left)
8. Kura (Catcher)
9. Fukui (Pitcher)

Tigers
1. Murton (Right)
2. Hirano (Centre)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Arai (Third)
5. Brazell (First)
6. Sekimoto (Second)
7. Kanemoto (Third)
8. Fujii (Catcher)
9. Standridge (Pitcher)

This was a extremely winnable game against a rather poor pitcher with one of Tigers better pitchers on the mound. Carp's first saw Kimura hit to first but big deal. There were two outs to go and Standridge got them easily. Both Murton and Hirano fell easily in Tigers first but then Toritani hit to right. Arai followed this with a walk and there were runners on first and second. Brazell grounded out to short and the innings was over. In Carp's second Shima hit to left - an indication that the Fujii/Standridge combination was not working that well this night but the one out to go was Kura who flew out comfortably to right. Sekimoto led off Tigers second singling to centre - a balk took him to second and then Kanemoto hit one of his rare home runs to right 2-0 Tigers. A big and welcome surprise. Fujii grounded out but Standridge walked in four as Fukui's control disintergrated. A balk took Standridge to second but Murton grounded out to Fukui. This was just really poor batting and Murton has not really been performing of late. It did move Standridge round to third. Next was Hirano who swung and flew out to short. Very poor batting by the Tigers who should have had another run at least. Higashide hit to centre in Carp's third with one out but then fell to a Kimura double play and the innings was finished. Matsumoto had led off Carp's third pinch hitting for Fukui and he was replaced by Umetsu for Tigers third. This was the perfect opportunity to put the game out of sight but as they often do Tigers batters preferred to sit on the lead. They had the chance to attack a relief pitcher at a vulnerable time for the Carp. Instead the clean up fell in order and the innings was scoreless.

The error of this strategy was rapidly exposed in the Carp's fourth. Carp had, unusually, been getting runners on base in each of Standridge's innings. This time with one out he faced Kurihara who hammered a solo home run off the centre wall 2-1 Tigers and rather poor pitching and calling. Kurihara hasn't really been a threat to the Tigers at all and they have kept him pretty much under control. Not this time. The next two batters went down easily and Tigers still held the lead. One would hope this run stimulated the Tigers bats and certainly Sekimoto led off with a hit. But then Kanemoto in trying to repeat his feat flew out to right. His home run was only a flash in the pan. Fujii also did the same and of course Standridge did nothing. Then the shock innings. Carp's fifth was a massacre of Standridge who was hopeless. Shima managed to hit a two base to left on a full count. Kura hit to centre to set up runners on first and third. Here Mayumi should have switched Standridge as it was obvious that his arm had gone and that Fujii wasn't able to cope. Instead Standridge stayed in. Ishii (pinch hitter) swung in his usual wild way but with the poor pitching and calling was able to drive a two base to left again bringing home a run 2-2 scores tied, runners on second and third. Once again Standridge should have gone but stayed and Higashide hit poorly but safely to centre bringing home the leading run 3-2 Carp, runners on first and third. Here Mayumi acted and replaced Standridge who had gotten no outs in the innings. Unfortunately, his awareness was not sufficient enough to replace Fujii. Kojima took the mound and immediately Kimura hit right bringing in another run 4-2 Carp who then proceeded to self destruct. Higashide was caught off base and tagged out. Amaya struck out looking and then Kimura tried to steal second and was out to end the innings. Carp had taken the lead and now had a two run cushion but as they had shown this was no guarantee of staying in the lead. Tigers fifth was pitched by Kishimoto and once again Tigers batters should have made more of the situation but seemed to lack the fight. The batters fell in order. Kojima returned for Carp's sixth and with two out Barden hit a two base, Fujii still being behind the plate. Shima hit wildly to right for another two base hit but really if the calling had been intelligent then it wouldn't have mattered. Anyway the two base was of course a scoring shot 5-2 Carp. Kura walked which brought a pitching change with Watanabe taking over. He got Hirose (pinch hitter) to line out to end the innings. Toyoda pitched Tigers sixth and here the paucity of Tigers lower order was exposed. Brazell hit over right but once again was too slow off the mark and what could and should have been a two base was only a single. Then Sekimoto hit again - he was fully justifying his place. Next was Kanemoto - now he should have been replaced as he had had his day and Tigers needed the runs. He flew out to third in his all too familiar style. Shibata (pinch hitter) followed and his use is getting even more and more incomprehensible. He has speed but like all of Mayumi's young speedsters this is rarely used. He doesn't really hit and even less so with runners on. There is no reason for him to be included in the top team at all but Mayumi's whims. He lined out to short to end the innings and Carp had wriggled off the hook again (yes it is a terrible pun but it was irresistible).

Komiyama took over the catching duties for Carp's seventh and called to Fukuhara. This worked out very well and the Carp's batters fell comfortably in order. Imamura pitched Tigers seventh and here we had a taste of what Tigers could have done to the inferior side if they had put their minds to it. Uemoto (pinch hitter) grounded out to second - a waste of a pinch hitter's position. Murton drew a walk and then Hirano hit to centre - no foolish bunts this time. Toritani hit to left but Murton didn't go for home and the bases were loaded. Arai hit a sacrifice fly to right - not good, he should have done better 5-3 Carp, runners on first and third. Then Brazell singled to centre 5-4 Carp, runners on first and third. Sekimoto though flew out to left and the innings was over. The game was close but Tigers should have done more. Enokida pitched Carp's eighth and retired the batters in order. Tigers after having knocked Imamura around in the seventh needed to do it to him again in the eighth. They didn't - as Mayumi had left Kanemoto in for the eighth he duly flew out. Komiyama struck out and then Uemoto swung wildly and flew out in foul ground. Poor batting again but not much could be expected from the weak bottom of the order. Anyway the game was won for the Carp from that point as Tigers ninth would be Sarfate. Still there was Carp's ninth to get through and Mayumi made a stupid decision to continue with Enokida. He is still shaky and started with a lead off hit to Shima. This brought an immediate realisation that Enokida and the ninth was a mistake. Kobayashi took the mound and struggled with Komiyama. Kura bunted Nakahigashi (pinch running for Shima) to second. Akamatsu grounded out to short and then Kobayashi dead balled Amaya - runners on first and second. Kimura walked to load the bases but then Maeda (pinch hitter) grounded out to Kobayashi to end the innings. Tigers ninth was pitched of course by Sarfate. Here Tigers needed a pinch hitter ( not of the Uemoto/Shibata type) who would take a wild swing and get a lucky hit to break the mystique rather like Asai had done to Kroon and Sekimoto to Nakata. They didn't have one and the top of the order fell in order to some very good pitching. Like I said Sarfate would make a nice addition to the relief when Carp fail to offer him enough. Carp victory.

The Fujii problems are worrying in the extreme. Pitchers can occasionally fail but they do need Fujii to be able to perform and call correctly. He may not be the best catcher but he is the only one Tigers have at the moment with sufficient experience. The complacent incompetence in the management of the catching has been breathtaking but then is indicative of the Mayumi/Minami/Sakai regime. Tigers needn't have lost this game but with the shi no rodo mentality being allowed to persist it wasn't so much of a surprise. It is also time for Kanemoto to be dropped home run notwithstanding.