October 24th Tsuru v Imai - The last game

Tigers season came to an end - they beat the Carp to tie the season series with them but it was an underwhelming performance. This about sums up the season as well and Tigers finished under .500. There will be a more detailed analysis on a different thread but it was also Mayumi's last game as manager. One isn't sorry to see him go but also one isn't particularly enthused by his replacement, Wada. Tigers management do need to get their act together and choose managers from ability not because they were old boys. One also wonders about the thoughts on Kanemoto as a player/coach. His temperament does not suggest that he would make anything but an old fashioned style coach. Murton failed to win the batting crown and Nohmi the strike out crown. Scores

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

Starting lineups

Tigers
1. Murton (Right)
2. Shibata (Centre)
3. Hirano (Second)
4. Arai (Third)
5. Morita (First)
6. Yamato (Short)
7. Tagami (Left)
8. Komiyama (Catcher)
9. Tsuru (Pitcher)

Carp
1. Higashide (Second)
2. Akamatsu (Centre)
3. Matsuyama (Left)
4. Kurihara (First)
5. Barden (Third)
6. HIrose (Right)
7. Abe (Short)
8. Shirahama (Catcher)
9. Imai (Pitcher)

A very much end of season lineup with Toritani taking a rest and Hirano batting three. OK then it is the end of the season but Hirano at three? Tigers hoped to finish with a win and did so. Imai started well for the Carp though and retired the batters in order in Tigers first. Higashide led off Carp's first with a walk. Akamatsu bunted him to second but then neither Matsuyama nor Kurihara could do anything to move him round and the innings finished scoreless. Morita generated Tigers first hit in the second - a one out single. He was forced out by Yamato who then stole second but Tagami grounded out and the innings was over. Carp's second was just quiet. Tigers third saw the batters fall in order both Komiyama and Tsuru going down looking. Murton grounded out. Imai was certainly effective but there was also an element of not really bothering. Carp's third was also quiet and no one could generate any momentum or base runners at all.

Tigers fourth was also quiet but the batters did at least make Imai work and didn't go down swinging at the first pitch as they are wont to do. Carp's fourth was quiet and so far Tigers had generated one hit and Carp no hits. Both teams had had a runner on second but that was all. Tigers fifth was quiet and Imai was picking up a lot of strike outs. In Carp's fifth Tsuru struck out all three batters he faced. He would retire at the end of the fifth having pitched well but wouldn't actually pick up the victory. Tigers sixth quiet with more strike outs as batters merrily swung. Carp's sixth was pitched by Enokida - Mayumi wanted to go out on a win and didn't want to risk Tsuru for another innings even though Tsuru was well within his limits. Enokida struck out two in another quiet innings.

The action such as it was, was confined to the seventh. Shibata led off the innings with a single to left. Uemoto (replacement second) hit a two base to left centre putting runners on second and third with no outs. The next batter Arai walked to load the bases - a sacrifice was on. Morita hit deep to left and Shibata tagged up and was home 1-0 Tigers, runners on second and third. Another sacrifice beckoned and this time it was Yamato who provided it, once again to left 2-0 Tigers, runner on third. Tagami was next and he swung at his first pitch and grounded out. Tigers had lead which you knew would be decisive. Nohmi took over for Carp's seventh and got Akamatsu to fly out. Matsuyama hit to Nohmi who messed things up for an error allowing Matsuyama to reach first safely. He was pinch run for by Nakahigashi. Kurihara swung wildly and flew out to short. Then Nakahigashi tried to steal second and was thrown out to end the innings. For Tigers eighth, Nomura did what he should have done at the end of the sixth and changed pitchers, Nakagawa taking over. He retired the batters in order, Tigers having switched on cruise control again. Shiranita took over from Nohmi for Carp's eighth and gave up a lead off single to Barden. Hirose lined out but then Abe hit to Uemoto who messed up for Tigers second error and Carp had runners on first and second. Mayumi pulled Shiranita and brought on Tsutsui. It was Carp's last call as Maru (pinch hitter) hit into a double play to end the innings. Kishimoto pitched Tigers ninth and retired the batters in order which meant Fujikawa for Carp's ninth. This time he pitched to Komiyama and they worked well. With one out Fujikawa picked up Higashide who got his second walk of the night but he didn't advance beyond first. and Nakahigashi struck out swinging for the final out. Tigers victory.

The fielding hadn't been particularly hot and once again Yamato hadn't really proven to be better at third than Arai. However, this was the final game and there was a casual air about it. It is nice to see the end of Mayumi and one does hope that things improve but Wada worryingly was not a home run batter and may not understand the need for the long ball. The win went to Enokida and Kyuji picked up save No. 41.