September 27th Iwamoto v Muranaka - Destroy all Swallows

Overshadowing this result which was pretty impressive is the news that Kenji Johjima is retiring. As a signing this has to be said to have been an expensive disaster for which heads should roll. Johjima's commitment and effort have never been in question and when fit he always tried hard to do his best but his fitness was the issue. This should have been spotted by Tigers management and the fact that they didn't indicates failure at the most basic levels. One hears that Tigers may have learned from this debacle and are not pursuing Fukudome though they are still interested in Nisihioka and Igarashi.
Turning now to the game Iwamoto is looking like being quite a phenomena. Winning the second start in a row in only his second pro start is a feat that has only been done twice before by Tigers pitchers - the last time in 1937. He had to fight hard - this wasn't an easy victory but the fact that he was able to do so suggests that Tigers have something special on hand. Iwamoto's first victory was at Nagoya Dome - the rubber game of a series. The second one against a rampant Swallows and Iwamoto still has to give up a run. He is already looking like a future ace but we don't want Tigers to mess this up. The other high point of a very bright night for Tigers was Itoh's grand slam. It was the first home run of his career and even though wind assisted was the first time a rookie as managed to do this in NPB. Scores

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H E
Tigers    0 1 3 0 5 0 0 1 2 12 11 0
Swallows  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  7 2

Starting lineups

Tigers
1. Uemoto (Second)
2. Yamato (Centre)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Ryota Arai (Third)
5. Murton (Left)
6. Nohara (First)
7. Itoh (Right)
8. Komiyama (Catcher)
9. Iwamoto (Pitcher)

Swallows
1. Yuhei (Centre)
2. Morioka (Short)
3. Tanaka (Second)
4. Balentien (Right)
5. Kawabata (Third)
6. Fukuuchi (Left)
7. Takeuchi (First)
8. Nakamura (Catcher)
9. Muranaka (Pitcher)

Things would start quietly and rather innocuously for Tigers. Toritani managed to draw his obligatory walk but that was all. Ryota Arai grounded out to second. Iwamoto's hard work started immediately. With two out Tanaka singled to centre. Then Balentien walked - this obviously got to Iwamoto who let fly a wild pitch to take the runners to second and third. Still he was able to pull himself together and get Kawabata to ground out to first and end the innings. Tigers second changed the game with Murton working the count full and hitting nicely to left for a solo home run 1-0 Tigers. The next three batters did nothing but Tigers were in the lead. Swallows tried to strike back and Fukuuchi led off with a single to centre also leading off the second. He stole second and then made third on Takeuchi's ground out. Nakamura hit a grounder to short and Fukuuchi decided to try his look. However, the throw was good and Fukuuchi was tagged out. Nakamura made second during this run down but with Muranaka the last batter the outcome was never in doubt and the Swallows failed to score. Tigers then dismantled the hapless Muranaka ruthlessly in their third. Iwamoto worked a surprise walk but both Uemoto and Yamato flew out. It looked like the innings would be quiet. However, Toritani hit right to set up runners on first and third. Ryota Arai hit left to bring home Iwamoto 2-0 Tigers, runners on first and second. Murton worked the count full and then put the ball deep to right over Balentein's head for a timely double. In fact it brought in both runners, Ryota Arai doing well 4-0 Tigers. Finally, Nohara struck out swinging with Tigers holding a good lead. Iwamoto was by now very nervous and even though he got Yuhei to ground out, dead balled Morioka. Next he walked Tanaka - runners on first and second but struck out Balentien looking. Kawabata also walked but with the help of Komiyama he got Fukuuchi to ground out to short. Tigers had defended the lead well and Iwamoto had maintained a clean sheet.

Tigers fourth was quiet - the bottom of the order not doing anything and Itoh giving no clue of what was about to come. With one out in Swallows fourth, Nakamura hit to first and was able to make base safely. Muranaka bunted him to second and then Iwamoto struck out Yuhei looking to end the innings. Tigers fifth was the end of Muranaka who had surprisingly survived this far. Uemoto popped up to second with Yamato working a walk. Toritani did the same and then Ryota Arai hit to third where Kawabata fumbled and allowed Tigers to load the bases. This was the end of Muranaka who was replaced by Matsui. His first pitch to Murton was hit deep to centre for a sacrifice fly 5-0 Tigers, runners on first and second. Kanemoto (pinch hitter) drew a walk and was pinch run for by Morita. Matsui now faced Itoh with the bases loaded and was a bit high. Itoh hit the ball high to right where, on a normal day, it would have come down into the glove of the right. There was a typhoon blowing though and the wind was strong which carried the ball over the fence for a grand slam 9-0 Tigers. Finally, Komiyama struck out but Tigers were far out in front. Morikoka led off Swallows fifth with a single. Tanaka hit a liner into the glove of Morita (replacement first) who stepped on the base to catch Morioka out of his ground. Balentien then struck out looking yet again to end the innings. Masabuchi took over for Tigers sixth and retired the batters in order. Iwamoto continued for Swallows sixth but was clearly tiring. Kawabata flew out but then Fukuuchi singled left. Takeuchi hit right and Swallows had runners on first and second. Nakamura walked to load the bases and with Hatakeyama (replacement first) next and one out Tigers looked to be in trouble. Hatakeyama hit a line drive to Toritani who snaffled the catch and threw to first to catch the runner out of ground again and end the innings. Iwamoto had done well and had survived without giving up a run. The second game is always more difficult than the first - the pitcher knows what to expect whereas in the first he isn't really aware.

Tigers seventh was quiet - it seemed that they were content to sit on their nine run lead and who wouldn't be? For Swallows seventh we saw Katoh. He stopped any momentum that the Swallows might have had by striking out two and getting Tanaka to fly out. Masabuchi was by now tiring and walked Morita to start Tigers eighth. Itoh flew out but Komiyama singled to centre - he is swinging the bat with more confidence now. Imanari (pinch hitter) hit right to load the bases with just one out. Uemoto supplied the sacrifice fly hitting to centre 10-0 Tigers, runners on first and second. Yamato struck out looking. Watanabe took over for Swallows eighth and the home side was by now totally beaten. Aikawa (pinch hitter) lined out to second and Kawabata flew out. Fukuuchi did single but Takeuchi could only fly out to centre. Still the ninth to go and Shoda took over. Toritani singled to centre. Ryota Arai hit left - runners on first and second with no outs. Shunsuke drove into centre bringing in a run 11-0 Tigers, runners on first and third. Morita hit right to bring in the runner on third 12-0 Tigers, runners on first and second. Itoh once again flew out to centre and then Komiyama hit into an innings ending double play. It didn't matter, Swallows were dead in the water. Swallows ninth was pitched by Tsutsui and was just a formality, Nakamura grounded out to Toritani. Hatakeyama popped out to Toritani and Iihara (pinch hitter) grounded out to Toritani to end the game. Tigers victory.

An emphatic turnaround by Tigers who had taken Swallows apart and handed them their biggest defeat of the season. Good work by Iwamoto who looks to have a great career ahead of him. Johjima's retirement game will be a second team game against Orix. Tigers did offer him the game against the Carp on the 29th at Koshien but Johjima, always the gentleman, declined because it would have distracted from Carp's chasing of the third Climax Series place.