20th March Arai shows his stuff.
Discussion in the Tiger Tails forum
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Re: 20th March Arai shows his stuff.
[ Author: Guest: totigersredsox | Posted: Mar 22, 2008 6:03 PM
]
I've noticed Ford has been bumped down to 7th in the line-up. Is that where he is projected to be opening day? Has he been moved down for lack of production or is Okada still just fine tuning the lineup?
Re: 20th March Arai shows his stuff.
[ Author: Christopher | Posted: Mar 23, 2008 5:19 PM
| HAN Fan
]
Yes - his opening day position is projected to be seventh. The team is built around Kanemoto. If he plays he will start no 4. If not Arai will start at 4, otherwise Arai is no 3 because Okada wants Imaoka at no 5. Tortani was starting at no 1 or 2 last season but with Akahoshi fit and Hirano doing so well these positions are occupied. Thus he is moved down to six. This is really why Ford is placed at 7. Yano who used to play 7 has been pushed down to eight which given his fading batting powers is entirely appropriate.
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Some rights reserved.
Starting lineups were
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Arai (First)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Imaoka (Third)
6. Toritani (Short)
7. Ford (Right)
8. Noguchi (Catcher)
9. Vogelsong (Pitcher)
Carp were
1. Akamatsu (Centre)
2. Amaya (Left)
3. Soyogi (Short)
4. Kurihara (First)
5. Tomonori Maeda (DH)
6. Alex (Right)
7. Seabol (third)
8. Ishihara (Catcher)
9. Kimura (Second)
Starting pitcher was Takahashi
Tigers started very nicely, in the First innings Arai slammed a 2-2 ball out of the ground for a home run 1-0 Tigers. However, Vogelsong was having a game he would rather forget. His first was lucky, he dead balled Akamatsu and then Amaya hit - runners on first and second. There then followed a double steal and there were runners on second and third with no outs. However, he was able to get out of the innings by dismissing the next three batters and the score remained at 1-0. In the next innings it was the turn of Toritani to hit a home run 2-0 Tigers. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the second Vogelsong was once again in trouble and this time couldn't get out of it.
Alex hit a two base and then Sebol hit driving him in 2-1 Tigers. Next Ishihara had a two base hit but the two batters after him, Kimura and Akamatsu flew out and struck out leaving him on base. Up comes Amaya who has his second hit of the game driving Ishihara home and levelling the score 2-2. Vogelsong gave up another two base hit in the third but managed to escape without damage. However, in the fourth he gave up a hit to Ishihara. Kimura bunted him to second and then Vogelsang faced Akamatsu again. This time Akamatsu hit a triple off the first ball he received 3-2 Carp. Vogelsong dispatched the next two batters to exit with 21 batters faced and 82 pitches. He managed three strikouts and gave up three runs. Not a good performance.
Takahashi - Carp's starting pitcher got through the fourth without trouble. He had a total of 67 pitches and had given up two runs. It seems that Tigers strategy had been to try to hit him out of the ground as his 5 strikeouts were all swinging. For Tigers Atchison was the next pitcher and he didn't start out well. He dead balled Kurihara and then Maeda hit. Alex flew out but then Atchison balked. Runners on second and third with one out. Of course the Carp's next move was a sacrifice fly from Seabol 4-2 Carp.
Carp's pitchers then kept Tigers in check until the eighth. Atchison settled down and pitched a very nice series of sixth, seventh and eighth with only one walk. Very good work. Going back to the Tigers eighth - this produced another home run, once again from Arai this time off Hiroike. 4-3 Carp. In the ninth the Tigers faced Nagakawa. Toritani hammered out a two base hit and reached third on a wild pitch. Katsuragi (replacement right) was walked and replaced by Fujimoto who promptly stole second. The situation runners on second on third with no outs. Next up is the pinch hitter Hiyama who promptly drives in another run scores level 4-4. Then Yano is brought in and he hits 5-4 Tigers. Nagakawa loads the bases and is replaced by Lin. He finally gets out of the innings but the Tigers have a one run lead.
The final innings is pitched by Abe. He gets Akamatsu with a ground out to Toritani. Then he walks Amaya. Soyogi flies out to right and then Kurihara gets a right hit. Runners on first and second with two outs. However the next batter Maeda grounds out to second - end of match and a nice performance by Abe in only his second closing appearance. Good economical batting by the Tigers 5 runs on 7 hits but rescuing some poor pitching by Vogelsong. Both Toritani and Arai had multiple hit games. There were five walks in Carps pitching with four in the latter innings suggesting that the Carps relief is not strong. Vogelsong should do better though - this time he was rescued by the batting but might not be so lucky next time.