1 out of 3 in Nagoya

The Yokohama BayStars headed down to Nagoya for a three game series with the Chunichi Dragons from April 13 to 15, managing to take on 1 of 3 against the Central League second place challengers.

The first night saw Stephen Randolph explode in the first inning, allowing the Dragons 5 runs in the first. He got out of a bases loaded jam in the second without giving anything up, then despite a leadoff walk in the third, managed to finish it out with a two run lead (Yokohama having scored 3 in the first and 4 in the 3rd). Kentaro Kuwahara threw 4 innings of scoreless, retaining the lead until the 8th. Shigeki Ushida threw the 8th and 9th, allowing Chunichi to tie the game on a 2-run home run by Masahiko Morino.

After Shitaro Ejiri kept the Dragons in check for the 10th inning, Yokohama closer Shun Yamaguchi came in to suffer his 3rd loss of the season. It started off harmless enough, Yamaguchi striking out Tony Blanco looking. But the then walked Kazuhiro Wada, who was bunted to second base by Hirokazu Ibata. Kei Nomoto was intentionally walked to face the former BayStar who seemingly always finds a way to make us regret losing him - Motonobu Tanishige. Tanishige hit the ball well over the right fielder for what was a sayonara double.

7 runs on 10 hits just weren't enough for Game 1.

So Wednesday night the BayStars gave the Chunichi Dragons a beating.

After allowing a run in the first inning, Shuichi Murata and Terrmel Sledge hit back to back home runs to turn the game around 2-1. But Sledge wasn't done there. He singled in the fourth inning and hit a 3-run home run in the BayStar 5-run fifth, going 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs on the night.

Hayato Terahara got his second win of the season, throwing 6 innings, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits while walking 3 (2 in the Dragons' 3-run sixth inning) and striking out 8. Relief corp of Ejiri, Ushida, and Yamaguchi each pitched one scoreless inning as the BayStars cruised to a 9-4 victory, splitting the series 1 game to 1.

The rubber match on Thursday night was close, a blowout, then close again.

The Dragons once again struck first, with a run in the first inning, then added two more in the fourth against Yokohama super-reliever turned starter Shigeru Kaga. Whereas Kaga found himself in and out of pinch after pinch, Chunichi starter, Kazuki Yoshimi, had a relatively easy time, scattering 5 hits over the first 8 innings, no two hits in the same inning.

So we go to the bottom of the 8th inning, trailing 3-0. Hiroki Sanada had held the Dragons scoreless for 1 and 2/3rd innings after Kaga. Left handed Kazuya Takamiya faces Morino to lead off the eighth, striking him out swinging. Then comes in Atsushi Kizuka who throws up a straight flush of hits to the next five batters, a home run, pair of singles, a triple, and a double. That plates 4 more insurance runs for Chunichi who turns this into a blowout, 7-0, before Kizuka finds something and strikes out the opposing pitcher Yoshimi and gets substitute shortstop, Tatsuro Iwasaki, to fly out to right.

With the aid of 4 hits and back to back walks (one walking in a run), the BayStars manage a slight comeback in the top of the ninth. But the 4 runs the get back aren't enough to overcome their initial deficit, and they fall in the third game of the series 4-7.

What did I get out of this series? I'm convinced that Kaga should not be a starter. He has absolutely impressed me with runners on base. But he seems to lose his concentration when he's not in a pinch. I think we should be using him to get out of tough situations, and stop watching him create them.

Also, we need a closer. Yamaguchi isn't working out there. He didn't last year, and he's been a disappointment in the closer role so far this year. I have no idea who can do it. But he was told through camp that he would be moving to the rotation, then he was moved back to closing on Opening Day. This just isn't working out. I'm ready to pull the plug on this one.

Offense! When we put two hits together, we often score. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's very difficult for two hitters to put two hits together. How can we fix the broken biorhythm?

With yet another 1 out of 3 showing, we're in danger of dropping below Hiroshima in the standings and back into last place. At least we're still doing better than Nippon Ham.