Hard-Hitting Hawks Survive Buffalo Charge, 8-6

The potential was always there for the SoftBank Hawks to slug it out with anybody. Even though the offense is not the same as it was during the 2003 Daiei Hawks Japan Series Championship, the ability to hit is still there.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka, Nobuhiro Matsuda, and Kenta Nakanishi all hit home runs today, and Munenori Kawasaki went 3-for-5 and stole 2 bases to lift the Hawks over the pesky Orix Buffaloes, 8-6. However, it was not without difficulty, as the Buffaloes rallied for 5 runs in the 9th off of four different relievers.

After Toshiya Sugiuchi went 8 strong innings, CJ Nitkowski, who has been pitching well as of late, went out to mop up in the 9th with SoftBank leading, 8-1. Hirotoshi Kitagawa led off with a single, then pinch-hitter Shogo Makita doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. After Hidaka grounded back to Nitkowski, Shinji Shimoyama singled to make it 8-2. After Nitkowski walked pinch-hitter Shiozaki, Yuki Kume came in to try and wiggle out of the bases-loaded, 1 out jam.

Kume, who has been almost automatic this season as a set-up man, ended up hitting leadoff man Shimomura to begin his outing to force in a run (charged to Nitkowski). Then, pinch hitter Sakaguchi singled to bring in 2 more runs (also to Nitkowski). With the score 8-5, Kume got a crucial out in Alex Cabrera, as he grounded back to Kume.

Koji Mise, the 3rd pitcher of the inning, was brought in to get the lefty, Tuffy Rhodes. Instead, Mise walked him. With the pressure mounting, Hisashi Takahashi came in and quickly got Kitagawa, who started the rally, and fittingly ended the game as he grounded Takahashi's second pitch to the shortstop Kawasaki. Rally over, game over, Hawks win 8-6.

Before the scary 9th, SoftBank dominated the Buffaloes and was in control all game long. The Buffaloes sent Satoshi Komatsu to the mound, and it looked good from the outset, as Komatsu was 3-0 against SoftBank on the season, and had an ERA of under 2.00 away from home.

The Hawks quickly knocked Komatsu out of his comfort zone. Kawasaki singled and stole 2nd after Honda lined out to begin the game, and then Matsunaka slammed a home run (20) down the right-field line to make it 2-0 Hawks right off the bat (no pun intended).

Orix answered right back in their half of the 2nd inning, as Rhodes and Kitagawa singled, and after Hawks starter Sugiuchi got 2 outs, Shimoyama doubled to score Rhodes and cut SoftBank's lead in half, 2-1. It would be the only run that Sugiuchi would give up.

SoftBank regained the 2-run lead at 3-1 in the ensuing half of the inning as Kenta Nakanishi homered (3) to left. He continued his rampage by doubling to lead off the 5th inning and spark a 3-run inning for SoftBank. After Takaya struck out, Honda attempted to sacrifice Nakanishi to 3rd, but ended up reaching thanks to an error. It proved costly, as Kawasaki singled to drive in Nakanishi and make it 4-1. Kokubo drove in another run on a single. The 5th inning ended with Komatsu out of the game, and SoftBank leading 6-1.

SoftBank would add to their lead the very next inning, as Matsuda got in on the home run fun by hitting his 11th of the season. The 8th inning yielded the Hawks' final run of the game, as Matsuda singled, and then pinch-hitter Takeshi Tsuji tripled to bring around Matsuda and make it 8-1.

The Hawks continue their series against Orix tomorrow at Yahoo! Dome. DJ Houlton (2-3, 5.02) starts for the Hawks, as he opposes Kazuki Kondoh (5-7, 4.85).