October 7th Iwata v Miura - Tigers creep closer

Tigers are now within two games of .500 again. They are playing the abject BayStars at the moment, the season for whom has basically ended. Tigers had a nice pitching performance from Iwata who was once again overpitched. With the schedule as crowded as it is the idea that starting pitchers should go for complete game shutouts is farcical. Mayumi is clueless though and continues to show his total inability to appreciate the art of management. Scores

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Tigers    0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 4 7 0
BayStars  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

Starting lineups

Tigers
1. Hirano (Second)
2. Shibata (Centre)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Arai (Third)
5. Brazell (First)
6. Murton (Right)
7. Kanemoto (Left)
8. Komiyama (Catcher)
9. Iwata (Pitcher)

BayStars
1. Shimozono (Left)
2. Yamazaki (Second)
3. Tsutsugoh (First)
4. Murata (Third)
5. Watanabe (Short)
6. Matsumoto (Centre)
7. Yoshimura (Right)
8. Kurobane (Catcher)
9. Miura (Pitcher)

With a prospective pitching duel in the offing Tigers needed a good performance from Iwata. Their first was quiet and the batters fell in order. Iwata started by walking Shimozono. He was bunted to second by Yamazaki but then Tsutsugo and Murata failed to do anything and the innings was scoreless. Tigers second was also quiet - it was looking like Miura was on form again. Iwata issued another walk to BayStars in the second though - this time a two out to Yoshimura. Kurobane the catcher grounded out to second and the innings was rapidly over. Tigers third was quiet - so far Miura had been perfect. This time so was Iwata and the batters fell in order to mark a quiet third.

Tigers suddenly came to life in their fourth. Neither Hirano nor Shibata did anything but Toritani hit to second who was unable to prevent the Tigers short reaching first safely. Arai hit left and Tigers had runners on first and second. Next was Brazell who flew out to centre. Tigers had generated the first hits of the game. BayStars would struggle to generate hits or even to get runners on base and the fourth was no exception. No one reached base. For the Tigers the logjam had been broken and Murton led off the fifth with a single to second. Kanemoto flew out and then Komiyama hit left. This set up runners on first and third. Iwata was next and he bunted - a successful squeeze which brought Murton home and put Komiyama on second 1-0 Tigers with one out. Hirano followed with a single into centre which brought in another run 2-0 Tigers, runner on first. Shibata walked to set up runners on first and second but Toritani flew out to end the innings. BayStars then had their first hit - a leadoff single from Matsumoto to start the bottom of the fifth. Both Yoshimura and Kurobane then struck out looking - a superb period of pitching which took the wind out of the BayStars recovery. Miura was the final batter and he grounded out to short. Tigers sixth after the excitement of the fifth was quiet and no one made base. Shimozono led off BayStars sixth with a walk but one out later fell to a Tsutsugo double play ending the innings.

Tigers seventh was quiet - no one seemed able to get anything going and Miura's hiccup had disappeared. Unfortunately for BayStars they couldn't work round Iwata and their seventh was also quiet. Miura was possibly tiring in Tigers eighth because with two out Toritani worked the count full and then hit a solo home run over the right wall 3-0 Tigers. Iwata returned for BayStars eighth and did well retiring the batters in order. Miura was replaced by Ohhara for Tigers ninth - there was to be no win for him this night. Ohhara though didn't do too well and his first pitch to Brazell was dispatched over the left centre wall for a solo home run 4-0 Tigers. He was quickly replaced by Ejiri who got the next three batters to fly out. Iwata then returned for BayStars ninth - an unnecessary move especially as he will be required to pitch more in a very short time. He struck out Shimozono but then gave up a single to Yamazaki. However, the next batter, Tsutsugoh hit into his second double play of the game - this one ending the game. Tigers victory.

Tigers had done well - they now have a winning streak of four games and the victory had been based on a fine pitching performance by Iwata. Brazell had hit back to back home runs in two games and it is nice to see him swinging the bat well again. Komiyama called the whole game and Tigers have looked a much better outfit with him behind the plate than Fujii. Tigers still have a chance to reach the Climax Series and have made a good start in doing so. It doesn't mean that Mayumi should stay though - he is still a major impediment to progress.