Walk, don’t run…

Swallows can’t capitalize on chances in loss to Hawks

The Yakult Swallows walked all over the bases in Thursday night’s interleague matchup against the SoftBank Hawks. But they weren't able to run … anywhere.

Kenji Otonari (4-2) walked seven and surrendered four hits, but wriggled out of constant trouble to keep Yakult scoreless over six innings in a 9-1 win at Jingu Stadium.

The Swallows loaded the bases three times against Otonari but failed to score.

Nobuhiro Matsuda celebrated his 29th birthday with three hits, including a double and a homer, and drove in three to lead a season-high 16-hit attack. Hitoshi Tamura smacked a homer, and Wily Mo Pena lined a shot into the stands in left for his ninth longball as SoftBank rebounded from a beatdown the previous night.

Matsuda, who also went deep on his birthday last season, almost single-handedly helped the Hawks snap a four-game skid.

“Not only was I able to hit a home run, but we also won the game so this is a great birthday for me,” Matsuda said in the hero interview.

“It’s a good start for us, but we have to keep it up,” added Matsuda, who helped the Hawks win the interleague title last year.

SoftBank's Hiroki Kokubo also had two hits, leaving him four shy of 2,000 for his career.

CARP 4, EAGLES 1

Yuki Saito (1-1) held Rakuten to a run on two hits, despite walking five and plunking one, and Yoshikazu Kura went 2-for-3 with a bases-loaded walk and an RBI double as Hiroshima won at The Zoom to snap the Eagles’ six-game winning streak.

Nick Stavinoha two hits, including an RBI double, to help Saito win his first game since Sept., 20, 2010.

GIANTS 4, BUFFALOES 2

Hayato Sakamoto homered and drove in two, and Ryuichi Kajimae broke a 2-2 tie with a scoring flyball in the sixth as Yomiuri took both its home games from floundering Orix.

Toshiya Sugiuchi (5-1) battled through six innings, scattering five hits, a walk and a hit batter -- while fanning eight to become the first pitcher with 300 interleague Ks -- to send the Buffaloes to their sixth straight loss.

LIONS 3, BAYSTARS 0

Takayuki Kishi (4-3) fired a four-hit gem for his first shutout, and Shogo Akiyama tripled in a run and scored on Esteban German’s hit as Seibu swept its pair at Yokohama Stadium.

Kishi fanned nine while walking two, making Seibu’s three-run first inning stand up.

FIGHTERS 4, TIGERS 1

Terrmel Sledge’s two-run triple in the sixth proved to be the difference as Nippon Ham swept Hanshin at Koshien Stadium.

Brian Wolfe (3-3) worked 5.2 scoreless innings, yielding three hits and four walks with four Ks in the rain, and four relievers protected the lead with Hirotoshi Masui recording his fourth save.

MARINES 3, DRAGONS 3, 10 INNINGS

Saburo Omura, who hit a two-run blast in the fourth inning, tied the score with a sac fly in the ninth off closer Hitoki Iwase as Lotte and Chunichi played to a time-limit draw at Nagoya Dome.

*Interleague count: PL 7, CL 4, 1 TIE