Powell One Out Short
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Re: Powell One Out Short
[ Author: mvk20! | Posted: Apr 27, 2006 12:57 AM
| YG Fan
]
Here's hoping JP can keep up the good work - his performance so far is obviously a huge part of the Kyojin resurgence this first month of the Central League season.
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Powell shut out the Carp 5-0 at Tokyo Dome on April 11, then shutout Yakult 1-0 one week later (April 18) at Kurashiki (a third party stadium) for his second and third wins of the season respectively. After six days of rest, Powell was on the mound against Hiroshima again last night, this time at Hiroshima Shimin Kyujyo.
After scattering 5 hits over the first 8 innings, Maeda singled to left with one out in the bottom of the ninth, followed by a double to right by Maeda to put runners at second and third with one out. Kurihara then grounded the ball to short, but Nioka's only play was to first base, conceding the run. Kosaka then made a brilliant play on Ishihara's grounder up the middle to prevent a second run and end the game.
In his hero interview, Powell said that he knew very well what was at stake, but that the Giants got the win was the most important thing. The last Giant to throw three shutouts in a row was Masaki Saitoh (currently the Giants' pitching coach) in 1989. The last foreign pitcher to do so was Gene Bacque of the 1966 Hanshin Tigers.
Powell had put goose eggs on the opposition's side of the score board for 26 straight innings. But that's not all. JP has also not walked nor hit a batter since the second inning of the April 11 game against Hiroshima, going 26 innings and counting without giving up a free pass. I've always felt strongly that walks will have a tendency to haunt a team, and this control is a very big part of Powell's success.