June 16th Messenger v Katsuki - Marines have difficulties

Tigers picked up their second Inter league series win today. Katsuki and Matsumoto were dismal and Marines were never going to overcome a 7 run margin. Most of their runs came from Ryota Arai mistakes - he was terrible in left field, poorly positioned and slow off the mark. But Tigers didn't have to worry, the earlier feast of runs had left them plenty of space which was also good because Messenger was poor being unable to keep his pitches down. However, Marines could not string enough together and Komiyama ensured that Messenger at least was hitting the zone most of the time. Katsuki found the zone a very difficult thing to locate. Scores

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R  H E
Tigers   3 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 16 0
Marines  0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 5 11 2

Starting lineups

Tigers
1. Nohara (Right)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Kanemoto (DH)
5. Takahiro Arai (Third)
6. Brazell (First)
7. Ryota Arai (Left)
8. Tagami (Centre)
9. Komiyama (Catcher)

Starting pitcher: Messenger

Marines
1. Ogino (Centre)
2. Nemoto (Short)
3. Iguchi (Second)
4. Saburo (Second)
5. Kakunaka (Right)
6. Imae (Third)
7. Ohmatsu (First)
8. Satozaki (Catcher)
9. Okada (Centre)

Starting pitcher: Katsuki

With Murton being held out of the lineup again we saw Tagami start in centre. He didn't do too badly and Komiyama had a great day with the bat as well as behind the plate. It all started disastrously with Nohara leading off with a single to right. Hirano walked in five with Toritani flying out. Kanemoto walked to load the bases and Marines were in trouble. Arai swung and flew out to short. This brought up Brazell whose first pitch was a too high changeup. Brazell hammered the ball into the space twixt right and centre for a bases clearing double 3-0 Tigers. Kanemoto had shown good hustle rounding the bases to score the run. Ryota Arai walked to set up runners on first and second but Tagami struck out swinging to end the innings. Messenger's first innings was superb - he struck out Ogino, Nemoto and Iguchi, all swinging. Tigers second and Komiyama led off flying out to centre. Nohara struck out swinging and then things went pear shaped for Katsuki. His control deserted him and Hirano walked in four. Toritani walked in five and Tigers had runners on first and second This produced a rapid pitcher change, Matsumoto taking over. However, he didn't exactly improve things being thoroughly worked over by the Tigers batters. Kanemoto drove straight over his head into the outfield. Hirano charged home and slid in with Satozaki dropping the ball 4-0 Tigers, runners on second and third with Kanemoto taking the chance to get to second. Next was Takahiro Arai who punched his second pitch (a typical Arai checked swing) into right centre for a two run double 6-0 Tigers, runner on second. Brazell drove his first pitch past Matsumoto and into the outfield and Arai rounded the bases and slid in before the tag 7-0 Tigers with Brazell taking second. Ryota Arai hit to right and Tigers had runners on first and third. Finally Tagami struck out swinging but Tigers had the game in the bag. After his superb start Messenger deteriorated somewhat and was too high. He started Marines second well though with Saburo striking out swinging. Next was Kakunaka who would have a dream game. Messenger never really figured out this batter and he left a straight too high. Kakunaka latched onto it and hit a solo home run 7-1 Tigers. Imae flew out to centre but Ohmatsu singled to right. The Marines fans were excited but they needn't have been because Satozaki flew out to right to end the innings. A new innings meant a new pitcher and Ohtani took over. Komiyama led off Tigers third and hit a high single to right centre. Kakunaka fumbled the pick up and Komiyama took second with ease. Nohara hit to third but Imae picked up well and threw to first for the first out. Hirano hit right to set up runners on first and third. Then Toritani hit to short who could only field and throw to first. Komiyama was home 8-1 Tigers, runner on second. Kanemoto also hit to short and grounded out to end the innings. The batters in Marines third couldn't get on base. In fact Messenger retired them in order fairly quickly.

Ohtani returned for Tigers fourth on the grounds that he had only managed to give up one run which in the context of this game so far was a great achievement for the Marines. His pitching was much improved. Takahiro Arai flew out to centre. Brazell struck out looking to a rather nice curve and Ryota Arai flew out to right. Iguchi led off Marines fourth with a single. Then Messenger walked Saburo - he just could not keep his pitches down sufficiently. Runners on first and second with no outs. Kakunaka was next and he swung and hit high and deep to left. Now this is one Kanemoto would have taken but Ryota Arai was slow off the mark and even though he got his glove on the ball missed it. Very amateur fielding and reminiscent of his failure at right. Both runners were able to charge home 8-3 Tigers, runner on second. Ohmatsu swung and grounded out to Brazell but this took Kakunaka to third. Satozaki once again flew out to right, Nohara covering the ground well. Tagami led off Tigers fifth with a single. Here Wada blundered and had Komiyama stupid bunt Tagami to second. You have a five run lead and you bunt? It defies understanding. Nohara grounded out to third with Tagami being unable to advance and then Hirano also grounded out to end the innings. Marines sixth was quiet though we did see a nice strike out of Ogino from Messenger. A ghost of his former brilliance. Furuya took over for Tigers sixth and immediately ran into problems. Toritani flew out but Kanemoto hit to centre. Takahiro Arai fllew out and then Brazell also hit to centre to set up runners on first and second. Ryota Arai hit infield and even though Imae fielded it he couldn't get the throw away in time and Tigers had loaded the bases. Sekimoto (pinch hitter) followed and hit very nicely into left centre. It took a very good run and take from Ogino to end that danger and the innings was scoreless. Messenger returned for his last innings (Marines sixth) and ran into Ryota Arai problems again. Iguchi hit high into left centre, a poor shot and this really should have been left to Yamato (replacement centre). Instead Ryota Arai went for it and hopelessly messed things up allowing the ball to fall and Iguchi to take second. Saburo flew out safely. Kakunaka hit to right centre again off a too high pitch and Iguchi was home 8-4 Tigers, runner on second. Imae tried to go right but Nohara easily took the catch near the fence. Kakunaka used the opportunity to tag up and take third. Ohmatsu hit to Toritani who threw safely to first for the final out.

Tigers seventh started with a brilliant bunt hit from Komiyama. He laid the ball perfectly along the third baseline and then beat Imae's throw to first. Murton (pinch hitter) hit to short though and Komiyama was forced out with Murton safe on first. Hirano flew out to left and Toritani drove the ball right to set up runners on first and second. Kanemoto flew out weakly to short to end the innings. Since the third Tigers had not been able to get runners home. Messenger had pitched six innings on 115 pitches and this was enough. He wasn't asked back for the seventh and Tsutsui took over. He didn't start well walking Satozaki. Kiyota (pinch hitter) struck out swinging but a wild pitch took Satozaki to second. Komiyama initially thought it was a foul and was a bit slow in reacting. Ogino flew out to right and then Nemoto flew out to left for the final out. Nakagoh was the pitcher for the Tigers eighth and he got Takahiro Arai and Brazell before walking Ryota Arai. Yamato hit to short to end the innings. Enokida took Marines eighth. He got Iguchi to ground out but Saburo singled. Kakunaka flew out to centre for a change and then Imae hit left for a two base. Saburo thought he could make it and went for home but the throw from Murton (moved over to left) was superb and Saburo was tagged out by Komiyama to end the innings. Marines were at least trying. Komiyama led off Tigers ninth with a single - his first career modasho. Murton struck out and Hirano flew out but Toritani singled to set up runners on first and third. This time Kanemoto flew out to right. Marines ninth was pitched by Fukuhara, Fujikawa being given another games' rest. He started well getting Ohmatsu to fly out to right and Satozaki to pop up to first. One out to get but suddenly Fukuhara went flakey. Kiyota singled to centre. Then Fukuura (pinch hitter) also singled to centre. Nemoto hit his first pitch to left to load the bases. Iguchi worked the count full and then Fukuhara dead balled the Marines second oshidashi 8-5 Tigers, bases loaded. Saburo came to the rescue hitting to Toritani at short for the final out. Tigers victory.

Despite Fukuhara's final flurry Tigers were always going to win this game. Marines would struggle and to their credit fight hard but they never had the firepower to overturn an eight run deficit. The Tigers pitching handed a huge lead always kept the team ahead and was able to absorb Ryota Arai's mistakes and Fukuhara's flakey pitching. Once again Komiyama had been excellent and for this game had looked good with the bat. Messenger picked up his fourth win without being wonderful and it was nice to see Arai driving in runs again. Tigers have the final inter league game tomorrow and then a nice rest.