Great Pitching, No Offense

It's up to Tokyo for a 3-game weekend series against the birds of Jingu. If the BayStars are going to have any shot at breaking into A-Class this season, they're going to have to beat the Swallows.

The pitching certainly did everything they needed to on Friday night (April 2, 2010), Terahara starting and throwing 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits while striking out 6 and walking 2. A pair of doubles in the second inning by Miyamoto and former BayStar Aikawa accounted for the Swallows' lone run. Kuwahara and Ushida each threw an inning of relief without allowing a hit (although Kuwahara walked 2). None of the walks turned into a run, so I'm willing to let them slide this time.

But where was the offense? Against Yakult starter Tony Barnette it took until two down in the 4th inning to get a base runner. Uchikawa and Murata hit back to back hits in the 4th to surmount the first of just two threats, but Sledge went down swinging for out number three. But Sledge wasn't the only strike out victim of Barnette. Over 7 innings of work, Barnette struck out 11, allowing just 3 hits and walking 3.

The biggest threat that the BayStars gave Barnette was in the 7th. Murata led off with an infield hit to second. Sledge then drew a base on balls, then the two of them were sacrificed to second and third. Shimozono also drew a walk and the bases were loaded with one out. But Barnette beared down and struck out pinch hitters Yuta Naitoh swinging and Tatsuhiko Kinjoh looking.

Takehiko Oshimoto retired the BayStars in order in the 8th, then Chang-Yong Lim closed out the 9th striking out a pair while allowing just a 2-out walk.

Ah, just when we get a great pitching performance, we're out pitched by the competition. This was another tough 1-run loss, our third for the short season so far. We're almost there! But almost won't be getting us to the post season come October.

頑張れベイスターズ。