PLPO: S1G1: Matsuzaka Shuts Out Hawks
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Re: PLPO: S1G1: Matsuzaka Shuts Out Hawks
[ Author: Deanna | Posted: Oct 7, 2006 4:15 PM
| NIP Fan
]
Yeah, this is bad (to me). I think the Fighters have a much better chance against the Hawks than the Lions in Second Stage, even with their advantage, so I guess I'm a temporary Hawks fan this weekend. It's not hard for me to root for Kazumi Saitoh, anyway.
It was a crazy close game. I listened to the whole thing on the radio, since I can't find a video feed. I'm almost thinking this was better than any post-season pitching duel that's going to occur in the MLB. The 7th inning really decided it, as the Hawks managed to load the bases with the bottom of their order but then Ohmura grounded out. I had this feeling that the Lions were going to push ahead a run in the 7th, and they did off consecutive hits by Hiroyuki Nakajima and Alex Cabrera and then a timely double by Kazuhiro Wada.
13 strikeouts by Matsuzaka. 4 in the first 5 innings and 9 in the last 4 innings. Insane.
But Saitoh only allowed three base runners in the first six innings, never more than one per inning, and struck out 9 in a complete game as well. It was just that one fateful inning. I was joking that the only reason the Lions were turning more double plays than the Hawks was because the Hawks couldn't turn double plays if Saitoh didn't let anyone get on base.
Between Saitoh losing and Arakaki being out with appendicitis, though, this is going to be tough on the Hawks. Hopefully Tsuyoshi Wada will win tomorrow and then we can enjoy the crap-shoot of having Terahara on the mound on Monday!
It was a crazy close game. I listened to the whole thing on the radio, since I can't find a video feed. I'm almost thinking this was better than any post-season pitching duel that's going to occur in the MLB. The 7th inning really decided it, as the Hawks managed to load the bases with the bottom of their order but then Ohmura grounded out. I had this feeling that the Lions were going to push ahead a run in the 7th, and they did off consecutive hits by Hiroyuki Nakajima and Alex Cabrera and then a timely double by Kazuhiro Wada.
13 strikeouts by Matsuzaka. 4 in the first 5 innings and 9 in the last 4 innings. Insane.
But Saitoh only allowed three base runners in the first six innings, never more than one per inning, and struck out 9 in a complete game as well. It was just that one fateful inning. I was joking that the only reason the Lions were turning more double plays than the Hawks was because the Hawks couldn't turn double plays if Saitoh didn't let anyone get on base.
Between Saitoh losing and Arakaki being out with appendicitis, though, this is going to be tough on the Hawks. Hopefully Tsuyoshi Wada will win tomorrow and then we can enjoy the crap-shoot of having Terahara on the mound on Monday!
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Offensively, the Lions put together three hits in a row by their cleanup to take a 1-0 lead. I figured it'd be a low scoring game, and that it was. Both pitchers continued well from there.
Seibu takes the first game of the First Stage on the way to Sapporo Dome.