Nagai Stifles Hawks, Eagles Eke Out 2-1 Win

The Raktuen Eagles are the trendy pick to make the playoffs this year. I picked them to make the playoffs last year, but this year's Eagles are clearly much improved. Anchored by Hisashi Iwakuma and also sporting a crop of youngsters who are constantly improving, including some key free-agent signings, the Eagles are poised to soar this year.

One of the youngsters who made his mark today was Satoshi Nagai, who has only two NPB seasons under his belt, 2 complete games and 13 career wins. Today, he looked like a seasoned veteran against the Hawks lineup.

Nagai's control was impeccable, walking only one batter over 8 innings while striking out 10 batters and scattering four hits. The one run he gave up was in the 1st, when he gave up a triple to lead off the game to the red-hot Yuichi Honda. The Hawks were able to manufacture a run, getting Honda across thanks to a brilliant squeeze bunt from Kawasaki. However, that would be the only offense the Hawks could generate all day.

Another young pitcher, Hawks junkballer Kenji Ohtonari, was called on for the Hawks to give some innings, and while he didn't pitch badly at all, he only went 4 and 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out three. He was taken out after throwing only 85 pitches and after striking out Teppei. No word as of yet why Akiyama-kantoku decided to relieve Ohtonari.

Brian Falkenborg was called on to keep the game close, and he did just that. Akio Mizuta, who had a dismal 2008 season, also held the fort effectively, and rookie Settsu also did well in his outing. However, the damning moment for Ohtonari in this game was when he uncorked a wild pitch in the 3rd inning. Also, the first run Ohtonari gave up was to Takeshi Yamazaki, who clubbed his first home run of the 2009 campaign.

However, as good as the Hawks bullpen was, the Eagles entire pitching staff was better. After Nagai logged his 8 innings, Arime and Koyama worked together to slam the door shut in a quiet 9th inning from the Hawks. Koyama got credit for the save, his first of the season.

Next up for the Hawks is a weekend home stand against their principal tormentors in the 2008 season, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The Fighters send super-ace Yu Darvish (0-1, 3.00) to the mound against Hawks starter Tsuyoshi Wada (1-0, 0.00).