September 6th Iwata v Utsumi - Holding the line

Nakamura talked about his role as the new GM and did indicate that he would take some kind of on field role. He also acknowledged that his previous tenure as manager had not been the best. Of immediate interest were his thoughts on the Nos 1 and 2 in the lineup; not fast enough. He also commented on the clean up hitter role; Tigers need to find someone reliable. To this I would add they also need to find a good No. 5. This role is proving highly problematic. I still believe that Brazell has the ability to fill this role but he needs playing time and not to be platooned as is currently happening. Of course, this means no place for Takahiro Arai (another demotivated player) but he can move back to third as Ryota Arai is proving very ineffective in the position. Moving Ryota Arai to left would seem appropriate which would leave no role for Kanemoto beyond that of pinch hitter but it has to be acknowledged that Kanemoto is now beyond the stage where he can be an effective first team player all the time. Murton can take centre or right again as he is much more comfortable in these positions. Of course, this all depends on whether Tigers keep Brazell and this is not looking likely at the moment. No indications have come that he will be let go but Tigers are scouting new foreign players and one would see Brazell as not reaching the scoring level considered necessary for a foreign player by the Tigers management. Sensibly, Nakamura is only on a one year contract though Sakai-owner has said the he sees the Tigers rebuilding process as taking three years but then what does he know? He was the one who hired Wada on a three year contract. Scores

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R  H E
Giants  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  0 1 12 2
Tigers  0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 1  6 1

Starting lineups

Giants
1. Chono (Centre)
2. Tani (Left)
3. Sakamoto (Short)
4. Abe (Catcher)
5. Murata (Third)
6. Yano (Right)
7. Ohta (First)
8. Terauchi (Second)
9. Utsumi (Pitcher)

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

Giants went all out to win this game and had to be kept out by some fine defence by Iwata and Komiyama. In fact from the fourth to the ninth innings Tigers were on the back foot pretty much all the time. Once again we had several of Wada's strange decisions chief of which was the decision to pinch hit Komiyama in the bottom of the ninth. Having kept the game tight, one did not want to see the rather loose Fujii behind the plate but that decision worked out well this time and Tigers fans could breathe a sigh of relief. Iwata started brightly - so much so that you were sure that this game was going to be one of his better ones. The high point of the Giants first was his striking out of Matsumoto looking for the second out - a really nice pitch. Tigers made a mess of their first sad to say. Uemoto started the innings well hitting right for a double. Then Yamato tried to bunt him to third. This was one of Wada's stupid bunts - it would have been more appropriate to try and hit. This could have cracked open Utsumi in the first. Instead Yamato's bunt was poor - straight back to the pitcher who threw to third for the tag out. Tigers had gone from a runner on second to a runner on first and blown the first chance. Toritani hit straight to second to force out Yamato, the double play failing to come off for the Giants. Next was Ryota Arai who hit left along the line for a two base hit - runners on second and third. It needed Murton to single but all he could do was strike out to end the innings. The innings hadn't been impressively handled at all. Iwata didn't let this affect him in the Giants second though - once again the batters couldn't touch him and his use of the first ground out was proving effective - it formed three out of the six outs in the first two innings. Takahiro Arai led off Tigers second with a single. Hirano grounded out to second, once again forcing out the runner from first but making first safely himself. Then Komiyama stretched at a drifting outside pitch and got enough bat on it for a single to left. Hirano took third and Tigers had a good chance. Iwata struck out which brought up Uemoto who isn't really that good with runners on. Utsumi managed to dead ball him though to load the bases. Things were looking up for the Tigers but it needed a hit to pull it off. Yamato supplied that singling over the infield into right and bringing in a run 1-0 Tigers, It would have been nice if Komiyama had been allowed to go for home as well but he was held up on third by the over-conservative base coach. The second run was there as the hit was deep enough and the throw in from right was poor. This would cost the Tigers later on. Toritani was the final out hitting to third for a force out and the end of the innings. Giants third saw two outs go down and then Utsumi swung and bounced the ball infield. It didn't travel far and Ryota Arai swooped on it and failed to pick up the ball leaving it behind him. This error put a runner on first. However, Iwata was up to the challenge and struck out Chono to end the innings. Neither Ryota Arai nor Murton could do anything in Tigers third but Takahiro Arai drew a walk but Hirano then hit his first pitch to first for the ground out. You do wish he had waited.

Tigers first real challenge came in the Giants fourth. Tani grounded out but then Sakamoto singled left. Abe singled right and Giants had runners on first and second.Murata was next and he hit his first pitch into the ground bouncing it over Iwata and towards second. Toritani though fielded nicely and transfered it to Uemoto to set up the innings ending double play. This was a really vital play because if it hadn't have gone down the Giants would likely have scored that innings. Komiyama led off Tigers fourth hitting towards Terauchi. He let the ball roll under his glove and into the outfield - an error which put Komiyama on first. Iwata flew out which brought up Uemoto. He hit to third for an easy double play to end the innings. Now Utsumi was beginning to establish control and the Tigers batters were likewise beginning to struggle. So to Iwata's danger innings the fifth - Yano led off with a single to left. Iwata struck Ohta out but then Terauchi hit left. Ryota Arai was too slow and missed it but Toritani was able to stop the ball. He wasn't able to prevent the runner though and Giants now had runners on first and second.Utsumi tried to bunt and made a mess of his three attempts and was out. Chono then had to contend with a flaky Iwata. His second pitch was wild - it bounced well in front of the plate, reared up and hit Komiyama's mask rolling away. Komiyama chased it down but couldn't prevent the runners from reaching second and third. Iwata wasn't pitching well at all and eventually, Komiyama walked Chono to load the bases. This seemed to settle Iwata who struck out Tani with a sublime pitch. It was high and outside but in the zone and Tani swung almost as a reflex missing it as it floated above his bat. Tigers had survived another innings. Tigers fifth saw more of Utsumi in control. He struck out Yamato and then got Toritani to hit back to him. Finally, Ryota Arai struck out as well. Giants next assault came the very next innings. The sixth started quietly. Sakamoto hitting a low liner to third. Then Abe grounded out to third - so far so good. Murata hit left beating the field. Yano hit to third where Ryota Arai dived and gloved the ball but let it escape from his grasp - runners on first and second. Ohta hit high to right but Hirano was always comfortably under the ball and he was out. Tigers sixth saw another depressingly quiet innings. Murton skied one to first and then Takahiro Arai and Hirano grounded out. So far Tigers had held the lead but it was slender and one wondered how long they would be able to continue.

Even with all this action Iwata's pitch count was low (87 pitches) and so he started the Giants seventh. It started badly with Terauchi singling left. He was bunted to second by Utsumi and then in a bunt that worked Chono hit his second pitch to left. Terauchi raced home 1-1 scores tied, runner on first. If only Tigers had tried for the second run in the second. Chono tried to steal second but even with a start was no match for Komiyama's arm and was tagged out by Toritani. However, Tani singled to centre after that, then Sakamoto singled to set up runners on first and third. The Giants marshalled their forces for the final assault. Abe worked the count full and then took a walk. Komiyama looked pretty disgusted at that - the bases were loaded. But Iwata still had something left and with his first and second pitches got two strikes against Murata. Then a ball. Everyone held their breath. Iwata's next pitch was a superb straight across the zone which Murata failed to read. Strike out looking and the end of the innings. Tigers had lost the lead but were not behind. Utsumi returned for Tigers seventh and struck out Komiyama to start the innings. Kanoh (pinch hitter) singled to right. Utsumi let one fly which squirmed under Abe's glove and behind him allowing Kanoh to take second. Yamato hit a fly to right and Kanoh tagged up and took third. Yamato couldn't repeat his feat of the second and struck out swinging. Giants had also survived a challenge. Iwata didn't pitch Giants eighth - he had done enough and had pitched really superbly against an on form team. He was replaced by Tsutsui who was erratic to say the least. Yano was induced to fly out in foul ground to Takahiro Arai. Then Ohta singled to centre. Tsutsui contrived to walk Terauchi in four and Giants had runners on first and second. Ishii (pinch hitter) was next and here Hara was smiling and chatting happily with the other Giants coaches. He thought that the run would come. The smile was wiped from his face as Ishii struck out swinging. Wada then replaced Tsutsui with Fukuhara for the final out. Fukuhara sent down a ball to Chono and then Komiyama called for a higher pitch. As expected Chono went for it and ballooned it into the glove of Yamato to end the innings. Fukuhara acknowledged the call with gratitude. Fukuda pitched Tigers eighth and got both Toritani and Ryota Arai to fly out. Ryota Arai unusually hit to right rather than his favoured left side.Murton hit to Murata who dropped the ball again, the error allowing the runner on base. Murton was pinch run for by Shunsuke but Takahiro Arai was only able to ground out to second and the innings was over. Wada then wisely used Kyuji for Giants ninth. He has been under the weather and his pitching did lack it's usual buzz. Matsumoto was the lead off batter and after a battle he flew out to left. Then Sakamoto hit to right but Hirano was comfortably under it.Abe was next and once again he worked the count full and took a huge swing at a straight. This one went high and deep and over Yamato's glove to hit the fence just below the home run line. Tigers had just escaped and Abe looked rueful as he stood on second. Fujikawa then struck out Murata and the innings was over. Tigers ninth was a bit of a damp squib for Tigers but OK for the pitcher, Yamaguchi. Hirano flew out and then in one of Wada's incomprehensible changes Komiyama was pinch hit for by Sekimoto. Sekimoto was useless and grounded out to short. Finally Brazell struck out looking to end the ninth. There was time for extra innings but only one more.

With Komiyama pinch hit for Wada had to use Fujii and paired him with Enokida for Giants tenth. This on recent history was not a combination to fill one with confidence. One wondered what was going on in Wada's mind - if anything. It was fortunate that the Giants batters were not really trying by now - they seem to have decided that a tie would be nice and Enokida wasn't paying much attention to Fujii's calls.Yano struck out swinging and then Ohta hit straight back to Enokida. Finally, Terauchi casually struck out to end the innings. Tigers couldn't lose the game but they could still win it. Nishimura pitched Tigers tenth and found it all rather easy. Uemoto popped up to short. Then Hiyama (pinch hitter) struck out swinging. The final batter, Toritani. Time for a captains hit? He also popped up to short to end the game. Tied game.

Tigers could be proud of their performance. They had wasted their chances in the first but had defended really well. Good pitching and calling had kept the Giants to one run and the Giants should be really disappointed with their performance. Just one run from twelve hits. Tigers offense generated only six hits and so they can be happier but after the second were not really able to do anything against Utsumi. The Tigers move to their graveyard next - Nagoya Dome.