May 9th Standridge v Saitoh - More country matters

Even when getting things right Wada manages to get things wrong. Imanari the new signing has been brought up to the first team. This is very welcome but the catcher one would expect to be sent down to the second team Okazaki hasn't been. In fact Komiyama has been dropped down to ni-gun. Honestly, you drop your best catcher down to the second team and leave the wooden non-entity in place? I don't think even Mayumi was quite this stupid but then I suppose there is a logic behind this move as well. If Okazaki is covering for Fujii then he will make Fujii look good despite dropping runs like anything. Wada is turning out to be very traditional - stubborn, ill-informed and petty as well. Tigers batting did well this series and in two games generated 14 runs though in this game these came late in the game. Of these Kanemoto has driven in none. With runs on offer like this one would expect the No. 4 batter to at least help himself to some of them. After all he is the main cleanup. Even Fujii has hit more runs than Kanemoto after his return. Scores

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R  H E
Tigers  0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 6 13 1
Carp    0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2  4 1

Starting lineups

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

Carp
1. Soyogi (Short)
2. Higashide (Second)
3. Maru (Centre)
4. Stavinoha (Left)
5. HIrose (Right)
6. Matsuyama (First)
7. Dobayashi (Third)
8. Kura (Catcher)
9. Saitoh (Pitcher)

This time things would start and continue nicely for the Carp. Saitoh confused the Tigers batters and seemed to work well with Kura. Tigers first was consequently quiet. Carp's first also remained quiet and we saw a good performance from Standridge who worked well with Fujii. Tigers second started with a sngle from Kanemoto. Arai singled to left and Tigers put runners on first and second. Brazell though hit into a double play which took Kanemoto to third but meant that the final batter was Asai. He flew out in foul ground. Carp had weathered that challenge quite well. With two out in the second Carp got their first base runner. Matsuyama swung and missed but then Fujii failed to take and Matsuyama took first. Not so costly a mistake as Dobayashi grounded out to third to end the innings. Tigers third produced a two out single for Toritani but Hirano grounded out to short in approved fashion and the innings was over. Kura led off Carp's third with a single. Surprisingly Saitoh didn't bunt but tried to hit and flew out to left - all credit to him for trying. The next two batters could not move Kura off first and no score resulted.

With two out in Tigers fourth Arai drew a walk. Once again Brazell failed to move him round and ended the innings. Brazell is going through a rough patch at the moment. Maru led off Carp's fourth to Toritani who fumbled and missed the throw. With one on Stavinoha walked to set up runners on first and second with no outs. However, not for the first time the Carp's middle order couldn't deliver - Hirose who was quite effective last year struck out and the ends of Matsuyama and Dobayashi followed quickly. Tigers fifth and the bottom of the order did nothing of interest - all grounding out. Carp's fifth was the same. The game was finely poised. Tigers sixth saw another two out single this time to Murton. Now a chance for Kanemoto, No. 4 batter of Tigers to prove his quality. He struck out swinging to end the innings. Not very good at all. Carp finally broke the game open in the sixth. With two out Stavinoha hit deep to right for a solo home run 1-0 Carp. In the two games he hit four home runs off three different Tigers pitchers. Proof if proof were needed of the flaws in Fujii's calling. Hirose walked and but then Dobayashi hit a grounder to end the innings.

Tigers needed to respond and with Arai leading off the seventh they got the perfect start. Arai hit his first pitch left. Then Brazell singled to set up runners on first and second. He was pinch run for by Tagami. Asai bunted - an unnecessary move but it moved the runners round to second and third. This brought the end of Saitoh who was replaced by Kishimoto who couldn't cope with the situation. Here I don't quite understand the logic. Wada replaced Fujii with Sekimoto as a pinch hitter. Replacing your catcher with a batter who doesn't hit particularly when your catcher drove in a run the night before doesn't strike me as logical. Sekimoto grounded out to second but Carp locked the runners on base preventing the score and the second out was down. So Wada sent in Hiyama for Standridge - a far more understandable move. Hiyama though needed a stroke of luck. He popped one up into foul ground and Dobayashi got under it and dropped the ball. This would prove to be a costly error as Hiyama lifted a low pitch over Soyogi at short for a single 1-1 scores tied, runners on first and third. Toritani hit his first pitch left 2-1 Tigers runners on first and second. Carp crumbled and Hirano worked the count full then singled to centre 3-1 Tigers, runners on first and second. Murton then took a huge whack at the ball and hit into left centre for a timely three base 5-1 Tigers, runner on third. This brought a pitching change and Egusa faced Kanemoto. This time he got his old colleague to ground out to first and end the innings. A very nice big innings for Tigers. Okazaki took over the pitching duties and worked well with Fukuhara retiring the shell shocked Carp in order. Tigers eighth was a lucky escape for the Carp. Nakata took over the pitching and Shirahama the catching. With one out Tagami singled to centre. He stole second and then with two outs made third on Sekimoto's single. Okazaki flew out to end the innings. Enokida then pitched the Carp's eighth and was able to retire the batters in order. Carp brought on Sarfate for Tigers ninth and were immediately in trouble again. Tortani walked and then was bunted to second by Hirano. You are four runs up with the next batter someone who has just driven in a run and you ask him to bunt? Wada seems to have nothing between his ears. Muton flew out to first and then Johjima (pinch hitter) grounded out to Dobayashi who messed up setting up runners on first and third. Arai made the most of Tigers luck and singled left bringing home a run 6-1, Tigers and runners on first and third. Finally, Tagami struck out looking to end the innings. So without the error a run would not have been scored - a bunt is not the right choice in this situation. Watanabe took over for Carp's ninth and whilst Okazaki had been lucky so far he wasn't this innings. Stavinoha singled to centre and then HIrose singled left to set up runners on first and third. Mastuyama hit a grounder to second which brought home a consolation run 6-2 Tigers.Dobayashi struck out swinging and finally Nakahigashi (pinch hitter) flew out to left in foul ground to end the game. Tigers victory.

Tigers had crushed the Carp in this two game series. The Hiroshima outfit's pitching and catching had proved woeful but they also lacked the batting power. Tigers catching was also woeful but their batting and pitching was of a much higher quality and they came away with two useful victories. Wada's handling of the games hadn't shown any real management ability and the use of Kanemoto at fourth is getting to be an embarrassment. Tigers had had fun but really there needs to be a focus on playing the best players in the right positions especially against the stronger opponents like the Giants and Dragons. Tigers have a day off before a series against the BayStars and then the bore of the Interleague.