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Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
Akahoshi is out for at least 10 days with neck and back trouble which he picked up against Dragons. Mayumi made the decision to put Baldris in as leadoff batter - a strange decision it must be said. Baldris had no hits and one walk and had looked very off the pace. The decision worked to a certain extent but one thinks more due to Ishikawa's poor pitching than to Baldris' sudden improvement. Without a lot more work Baldris doesn't have much to offer the first team that other batters can also offer. Box score
Starting lineups
1. Aoki (Centre)
2. Hiroyasu Tanaka (Second)
3. Fukuchi (Left)
4. D'Antona (First)
5. Guiel (Right)
6. Miyamoto (Third)
7. Aikawa (Catcher)
8. Keizo Kawashima (Short)
9. Ishikawa (Pitcher)
Tigers
1. Baldris (Right)
2. Sekimoto (Second)
3. Arai (Third)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Brazell (First)
6. Sakurai (Centre)
7. Toritani (Short)
8. Kanoh (Catcher)
9. Kubo (Pitcher)
With Yakult winning the previous game and Ishikawa on the mound one would have thought Swallows were in with a good chance. Instead Kubo controlled the game and Swallows didn't really get into the frame. Kubo started by retiring the Swallows batters in a 1-2-3 first. Ishikawa hasn't been pitching well of late and this game would continue that trend. Facing Baldris as leadoff on a 1-2 count he sent a 136kmh fast ball low into the zone. The swing was good and the ball went flying into the left gaia for a solo home run 1-0 Tigers and a dream start. This is Baldris' first hit of the season and first RBI. Ishikawa then walked Sekimoto but Arai's double play rescued him and Kanemoto flew out. Kubo though maintained his 1-2-3 pattern as the next set of Swallows batters fell. Ishikawa gave up a hit to Toritani in the bottom of the second but nothing came of this. The Swallows third saw Kawashima generate a one out hit to Arai. Ishikawa bunted him to second and then Kubo walked Aoki to set up runners on first and second. Tanaka grounded out and Kubo was safe. Tigers third was quiet as Ishikawa established a measure of control.
Swallows didn't stop trying - they only had a run deficit and in the fourth. Fukuchi led off with a hit and stole second. Guiel walked but Miyamoto's ground out ended the innings. Ishikawa then fell apart in Tigers fourth. With one out Kanemoto hit a two base. Brazell hit his first pitch to right and Tigers had runners on first and third. Sakurai hit to left on a full count and Kanemoto was home 2-0 Tigers, runners on first and second. Toritani walked to load the bases and then Kanoh hit to Kawashima who let the ball get through him and two Tigers runners made home on the error 4-0 Tigers runners on first and second. The next two batters were Kubo who grounded out and Baldris who struck out to end the innings and Ishikawa's session. He hadn't pitched well and hadn't really had much in the way of control. Kubo then produced another 1-2-3 innings in the Swallows fifth to prevent them getting back into the game. Tigers fifth was pitched by Hagiwara who was much better than two nights before. He did give up a hit to Kanemoto but with two out was able to restrict the Tigers left to first. Kubo's final innings would be Swallows sixth and here he did have trouble. He started with a two base hit to Aoki. Tanaka's hit set up runners on first and third with no outs and it looked dangerous. Fukuchi grounded out which allowed Aoki home 4-1 Tigers, runner on first but D'Antona flew out and suddenly things looked a little less dangerous. Guiel was next and he flew out to Kanoh to end the innings and the threat. Kubo had worked hard and had made sure that he preserved a useable lead. Hagiwara returned for Tigers sixth and gave up a hit to Sakurai. He was bunted to second by Toritani but stayed there and the score remained the same.
For Swallows seventh we saw Atchison fresh from his disaster of the night before. He also was much more assured. He did give up a hit to Aikawa (who had a quiet game) but a Kawashima double play extinguished the threat nicely. Oshimoto took the Tigers seventh and was very comfortable making sure that no one got on base. Swallows eighth was really their last chance and saw them square off against Egusa. He wasn't at his best but was still able to generate the outs. Takada had intended to use Yuichi (pinch hitter) as leadoff but switched and chose Iihara instead. This worked and Iihara hit to centre. Aoki grounded out but then Tanaka hit and we had runners on first and second. Fukuchi lined out straight to first which also allowed Sekimoto (he had moved to first) to catch Tanaka off base for the final out. For Tigers eighth the Swallows used the Korean pitcher Hye-cheon Lee who demonstrated some nice stuff and retired the Tigers in order. This brought up Fujikawa for the Swallows ninth and he looks like he's back at his best now. Like the game against the Dragons he buldozed his way through the batters he faced, striking out all three in 14 pitches. Tigers victory
A very good win against a strong side. Swallows hadn't given up but neither had Tigers. The victory was built on determined pitching by Kubo and good support from the offense. Swallows didn't help themselves with Kawashima's error which was the second in as many nights but this time was punished. Fujikawa picked up his ninth save in an awesome display of closing pitching and one hopes that he is now back. Mayumi's decision making worked this game though the jury is still out on Baldris.