April 7th Kubo v Ohtake - Kanemoto and the sayonara hit

This one went right down to the wire. Two out with Carp's ace closer on the mound facing Kanemoto. Tigers needing one run to draw level and the tying run in position with another runner on first. This ending would have been rejected if it had been suggested for a movie script. Mayumi kept the same lineup as before with Hirano at two, Sekimoto at six and Mench at seven. He did change the catcher, Okazaki took the place of Kanoh and did well (though Kanoh looked better). Kubo started his first game for Tigers and though he didn't pick up the win did very well. Watching him pitch you couldn't help thinking Marines accepted Hashimoto in place of this guy? What were they thinking? He needs to adjust but has some very good stuff on him and importantly looked like he was enjoying himself. Koshien was full (46,307) and had a sizeable Carp portion who added to an electric atmosphere. A good account of the game can also be found at www.stevesayskanpai.wordpress.com - a site well worth having a look for Tigers fans. Box scores

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H E
Carp    0 0 0 1 2 0 7 0 0  10 14 1
Tigers  1 0 2 0 0 1 1 2 4X 11 19 0

Starting lineups

Carp
1. Akamastu (Centre)
2. Higashide (Second)
3. Amaya (Right)
4. Kurihara (First)
5. Shima (Left)
6. Seabol (Third)
7. Ishii (Short)
8. Ishihara (Catcher)
9. Ohtake (Pitcher)

Tigers
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Arai (Third)
6. Sekimoto (First)
7. Mench (Right)
8. Okazaki (Catcher)
9. Kubo (Pitcher)

Kubo's first game in Tigers colours - how would he fare. His first innings saw him walk Amaya with two out. Next up was Kurihara who hit nicely to centre left and Amaya took off round the bases. The relay came through as Amaya rounded third heading for home where he ran into a brick wall. Okazaki had blocked the home plate and was waiting. Split seconds later the ball was in Okazaki's hands and Amaya was tagged out to end the innings. A fine piece of fielding all round. Marty Brown came out to argue but the umpire was perfectly positioned to see and Brown wasn't. With one out in the Tigers first innings we had a repeat situation. Hirano on first after a hit to centre with Toritani supplying the two base hit. This time though there was no one to stop Hirano and he was home 1-0 Tigers. Throughout the game, Tigers base running was superb. Carp's second was quiet as Kubo was in control but he did tend to throw too many balls. Tigers second showed Ohtake was struggling. With one out Mench came to the plate. He is under pressure and hit a pitch to left straight at Seabol who didn't take. Mench was safe on first for his first base in Tigers colours. Okazaki hit but Kubo struck out looking. However, Akahoshi supplied the next hit but Mench didn't try for home. This was the right decision as he didn't really have the speed but now the bases were loaded. Hirano was next and he hit it back to Ohtake who threw to first for the out. Kurihara almost fluffed the take but still had time to complete the out.

Carp's third saw Ishihara lead off with a hit He made second on an Akamatsu ground out but got no further and the innings was scoreless. Tigers third was more interesting. Toritani hit bouncing it over Ohtake, Ishii coming in from short expected the ball to bounce but it didn't and he missed the take. Next up was Kanemoto and he drove the ball to right centre for a two base hit. Toritani set off, rounded third and went for home 2-0 Tigers. Both Arai and Sekimoto did nothing and this brought up Mench again. He focused on hitting to left and put a pitch just left of Seabol's drive for his first RBI. Kanemoto was home 3-0 Tigers with Mench on second taking advantage of the attempt to stop the run. Okazaki was walked to get at Kubo who duly struck out swinging to end the innings. Still Tigers had build a comfortable lead. Carp's fourth saw another two base from Kurihara, this one was lucky. The Carp first took an almighty swing at the ball and it came off the side of his bat but stayed in. Shima flew out but then Kubo dead balled Seabol, runners on first and third. Ishii was next and he also had an element of luck his bat splintering as he swung. This turned a right fly into a right hit and Kurihara was home 3-1 Tigers. Ishihara walked to load the bases and then Kubo got Ohtake to strike out and end the innings. In the bottom Akahoshi hit and was bunted to second by Hirano. He went to third on a Toritani foul fly but Kanemoto couldn't convert him and the innings was over. Carp's fifth saw the game get close. Higashide hit to left and an out later Kurihara was at the plate. He took a strike and a ball before getting a smooth swing on a higher pitch. The ball sailed comfortably over the fence for the first home run of the season at the new Koshien (not quite in the script that it should be a Carp player who hit it though). Two runs and the scores were now tied 3-3. Shima in what was to be an ineffective game for him flew out to end the innings. Tigers fifth saw Mench hit again followed by Okazaki to set up runners on first and second. This didn't go anywhere as the final batter was once again Kubo who grounded out to end the innings.

Kubo's sixth innings was awesome. He was in total control and struck out Seabol, Ishii and Ishihara in succession. Great pitching. Brown decided that Ohtake had had enough and brought in Dohmann for the sixth. He faced Akahoshi whom he walked. Hirano bunted Akahoshi to second and a Toritani ground out took him to third. This brought up Kanemoto and a farcical score. Dohmann threw a pitch which flew well behind Kanemoto for a wild pitch. Kanemoto had the presence of mind to step back and Akahoshi motored home 4-3 Tigers. Kanemoto flew out to end the innings though. So to Carp's seventh. Here Mayumi made several mistakes. Firstly he brought Kubo back. Kubo had pitched well but had thrown 100 pitches. For his first match it was enough and he should have been replaced. He got the first out but then Akamatsu hit. This was followed by a Higashide hit which needed a superb Hirano stop to prevent it becoming a two base hit. At this point Mayumi decided that maybe he shouldn't have called up Kubo for a sixth and so summoned Williams. This wasn't to be Williams best performance, in fact he was awful. He was faced with runners on first and second with one out. He started by dead balling Ogata (pinch hitter) to load the bases. Kurihara was next and he swung at a higher delivery getting just enough bat on it to propel it over the infield into no-mans land between the former and the outfield. A centimetre higher and it would have been a fly ball, lower and it would have been a ground out. Two runners were home from this hit and the score was 5-4 Carp runners on first and third with Kurihara at four from four and no doubt thinking about what he was going to say in his hero interview. Shima struck out and this brought up Seabol. He took a swing at a low pitch and propelled it off the side of the bat to right. Mench coming in tried to take it sliding but missed and Seabol was safe on third. Two runs scored 7-4 Carp. Next was Ishii who bounced one to third. Arai was quick but Ishii was quicker and safe on first. Seabol was home 8-4 Carp. That was it for Williams but here we had Mayumi's next mistake - he brought in Fujita, a pitcher who like Nohmi should not be in the top team. He was lazy and one dimensional. His second pitch to Ishihara was dispatched to right centre for a two base hit and Ishii flew home 9-4 Carp. Then Kida (pinch hitter) drove the ball into left for another run 10-4 Carp and a disastrous innings for the Tigers. Seven runs given up and a complete mess up by Mayumi.

Hayashi took over from Dohmann as the pitcher and gave up a two base hit to Sekimoto. One out later Okazaki faced Hayashi and put one into the air. Ishii at short and Akamatsu couldn't decide who would take it and by the time Ishii had decided it was his it was too late and the ball landed safely in front of him. Sekimoto of course was home and the score was 10-5 runner on first. Saka (pinch hitter) though flew out. For Carp's eighth Mayumi sent Abe to the mound. He was a breath of fresh air, he looked like he knew what he was doing and got the first two batters to ground out. Next was Kurihara and Abe hit him on the head with his third pitch. Kurihara was OK (Abe did the same thing last season with a Giants batter as well) but Abe was ejected. Egusa took over and got the final out. It just didn't seem to be going right for Mayumi. Brown brought in Ueno for Tigers eighth, not a wonderful pitcher but with a lead of five runs you can relax a bit. Ueno got Akahoshi to fly out but then gave up a hit to Hirano. Toritani walked and the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Next batter Kanemoto who drove the ball past Ueno for a centre timely hit, two runs home 10-7 Carp runner on first, one out. This was how the score stayed as the next two batters flew out.

One began to think that the game would end in an honourable defeat for the Tigers but more was to come. First though, they had to get through the Carp's ninth. Egusa returned and gave up a lead off hit to Seabol. He was bunted to second by Ishii but Ishihara lined out to Kanemoto who took an excellent diving rolling catch and was up in time to lock Seabol on second. Next was Hirose who hit to centre. Hirano, Toritani and Akahoshi all went for it but here was a difference between the teams. Akahoshi was firm, this is mine and so it was - he took a comfortable catch and the innings was over. For Tigers ninth Brown summoned Nagakawa, his star closer and what seemed like a good call. But no, Mench led off with a hit followed by Katsuragi (pinch hitter) with another one, runners on first and second no outs. Hiyama (pinch hitter) got a beautiful impact to right but it was straight at the fielder and he was out. Mench though tagged up and made third, an intelligent piece of work. Akahoshi was next and drove the first pitch he received into centre field for a hit 10-8 Carp, runners on first and second. Kanoh took over from Katsuragi but the runners couldn't do anything as Hirano flew out to left. Then Toritani hit to left and Kanoh flew home 10-9 Carp, runners on first and second and the match suddenly looked very close. Finally, in a situation which is familiar to him, was Kanemoto. The tying run was in position (Akahoshi) but a home run would win the game. Kanemoto battled Nakagawa beyond the full count and then suddenly turned a slider along the first baseline. Akahoshi was home 10-10 scores tied with Toritani charging after him. The throw from right was good and the relay also smooth but Ishihara was leaning to the right. Toritani slid in low, foot first and hit the home plate before Ishihara made the tag - safe! The Tigers fans went wild 11-10 Tigers and a sayonara victory.

A fantastic game with an unbelievable ending. Egusa picked up the win and Nagakawa the loss. Kanemoto was of course the hero. He had taken a great catch and driven in five runs including the winning runs. Mench had done well, he had three hits and a run and has earned a bit of breathing space. Toritani's base running had been excellent as had all the others. Kubo had had a good start and shown considerable potential. Mayumi had been rescued from his disastrous seventh as well. As for Carp, a lot of people have tipped them to do well this year but on the strength of this performance they don't seem to have changed. It is not the blowing of a six run lead, this can happen to any team but their fielding was still the same old sloppy style. Their hitting had a strong element of luck in it and as things tighten up this could lead to a falling off of runs for them. Carp need to lift their game considerably to reach the playoffs. Tigers had shown wonderful spirit and given that Arai was quiet it was a really encouraging performance. But Mayumi really needs to get rid of Fujita and start using his better relief men.