Asia Series: Chunichi Dragons vs. Uni Lions

Again, I couldn't get a wireless connection from the second deck, so just took notes. I hope these fulfill you need for details on the game.

Please note, I won't be going to the games this weekend, and they aren't being shown on a channel I get. So this is the last detailed report I can provide for the Asia Series. I'll do what I can with the box scores for the remaining games if there's a strong interest.

Without any further ado, the game log:

Asia Series: Day 2, Game 2
Uni Lions vs. Chunichi Dragons

The Chunichi Dragons suffered a loss last evening against the new favorites (in my view) for this tournament, the SK Wyverns from Korea. The Wyverns whipped the Chinese Stars this afternoon 13-0. If the Taiwanese Uni Lions can defeat the Wyverns, then it'll come down to runs scored to decide who faces off in the final this Sunday.

Nonetheless, the first step for the Dragons is to defeat the Uni Lions.

Starting pitchers for the night are W.L. Pan for the Lions and K. Asakura for the Dragons.

---
Top of First
---
And, wow! Pan isn't afraid to throw strikes. He struck out number two batter Ibata looking on three pitches. I like to see that kind of challenge (as a number of you noticed during the post season). Anyway, it's 3 up, 3 down for the Dragons in the top of the first.

---
Bottom of First
---
S. Yang leads off the bottom of the first with a base hit through the right side. And I just realized something. Of those fantastic plays that Araki makes all year long, part of it is positioning. He knows where to position himself against all of the Central League batters, and has scouting reports for most Pacific League batters. But what kind of scouting report does he have on the Lions' batters? He's playing at the "normal" second base position, which wasn't shaded enough toward first to do anything with that. Sure, some get through during the course of the season. But how much does shading one way or the other factor into Araki's range?

After striking out W.H. Pan, Asakura hits T. Brito on the hand putting runners at first and second with one out and number four batting K.C. Kao coming to the plate.

But Kao grounds the ball toward third base. Morino fields the ball right next to the third base bag, steps on it, then throws to first for the double play. Asakura is out of his first jam of the evening.

---
Top of Second
---
After Nori strikes out swinging on a full count pitch to lead off the second inning, Lee hits one too hot for second baseman S. Yang to handle. The ball reflecting off his glove as he tried to avoid getting hit by it, rolling into shallow center field. The Dragons have their first base runner of the evening.

Oh, and one thing I learned last night against the Wyverns; a wyvern is a type of flying dragon. So last night's game was really between a pair of Dragons, with the flying ones coming out on top.

Back to the game, with Lee on the run, shortstop S.C. Hsu was pulled out of position to cover second as K. Inoue lines a pitch through where Shu was into left field. Lee continues on to third base to put runners at the corners with one out.

But home plate is a long way away for the Dragons, as K. Nakamura grounds the ball to third base. Third baseman Brito goes to second for one, the relay to first it in time, double play. The Dragons fail to score again in the second.

---
Bottom of Second
---
Number five batter, right fielder F.H. Liu hits a slow grounder to third. Morino rushes in, throws wide of first - safe! It's ruled an infield hit for Liu. The lead-off man is aboard for the Lions two innings in a row.

L.H. Chen follows with a more sharply hit ball to third. Morino comes up with the ball, has a hard time getting ahold of it, double pumps, and finally throws to first for the out. Runner at second, one out.

That brings up T.C. Kuo. And Kuo rips the ball to right field, that's going to be trouble! The runner scores easily from second, and Kuo slides into second ahead of the ball. RBI double.

C.K. Kao hits the ball to third. Morino bobbles it, throws to first - not in time! The runner holds at second base. Morino is charged with an error this time.

Number nine batter S.C. Hsu grounds the ball to Araki at second. Finally, to someone with a glove! Araki throws to Ibata for one. And there is no relay to first. Runners at the corners, two down.

Back to the top of the order in S. Yang. Yang grounds the ball to the right side. It gets past first baseman Nori Nakamura, but Araki fields it. And Asakura wisely covers first to record the out from Araki.

The Uni Lions take a 1-0 lead after 2 complete.

---
Top of Third
---
Tanishige starts things off with a base hit over the second baseman. But he's erased at second when A. Fujii grounds the ball to second baseman S. Yang. But shortstop S.C. Hsu has trouble getting the ball out of his glove to complete the double play.

Fujii then swipes second with top batter Araki at the plate. And he heads to third as Araki grounds the ball up the middle with Hsu failing to make the grab. That's called an error, and runners are now at the corners with one out.

With Ibata at the plate, Araki swipes second. Fujii thought about going as the throw to second was high and wide. But a great effort by second baseman S. Yang kept the ball from going into center field.

Ibata grounds the ball to the right side. As the fielders are back, there's no play at the plate, just to first. The Uni Lions concede the tying run for out number two. Araki heads to third, with Morino coming up next.

Morino gives the fans a thrill, but just a warning track thrill as he got a little bit too much under the ball.

Still, the Dragons managed to tie this game up 1-1.

---
Bottom of Third
---
With two down, Asakura walks number four batter K.C. Kao on a full count with a pitch over his head.

But F.H. Liu grounds the ball to the left side where Morino finally looked competent, fielding the ball and firing to second for the force.

After three complete, we're tied up at 1-1.

---
Top of Fourth
---
Three up, three down for the Dragons in the fourth.

---
Bottom of Fourth
---
Same for the Uni Lions in the fourth. Three up, three down.

---
Top of Fifth
---
With one out, Tanishige gets hit by a pitch. Then Fujii gets on as third baseman Brito throws wide of first. That's the second error charged to Uni this game. Runners at first and second, one out for top batter Araki.

And Araki drills the ball through the left side, base hit! The third base coach holds Tanishige at third, and the Dragons have the bases loaded with one out.

This prompts a visit to the mound by the Lions' pitching coach. After a short meeting, Ibata comes up.

And Ibata comes through! He lines the ball to left field. Tanishige touches up at third. The throw home is cut off at short, and the Dragons take a 2-1 lead here in the fifth. Two down, runners at first and second, Morino at the plate.

But Morino goes down on strikes to end the rally. Still this is the first time that the Dragons have led a game this Series. They go up 2-1.

---
Bottom of Fifth
---
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, top batter S. Yang lines the ball to the right-center gap, heading in to second with a stand up double.

But that's all they get as Brito flies out to center an out later to retire the side.

After five complete, now, the Dragons take a 2-1 lead.

---
Top of Sixth
---
Nori leads off the sixth drawing a base on balls.

But Lee goes down swinging for out number one.

Inoue, the designated hitter for the Dragons tonight after that pinch hit home run last night, pops out to second for out number two.

K. Nakamura then grounds the ball to Brito at third, who fires to S. Yang covering second, and the side is retired. So much for the lead off walk.

---
Bottom of Sixth
---
Number four batter K.C. Kao leads off the bottom of the sixth drilling a pitch through the left side. Lead-off runner is aboard for the Uni Lions, and the heart of the order coming up.

After Asakura got F.H. Liu swinging, L.H. Chen singled through the left side to put runners at first and second with one out.

T.C. Kuo then had the distance, but not the aim, as he fouls a loooooong one off to the left side to bring the count to 2 strikes and no balls. Two pitches later, though, Kuo grounds the ball to Nori at first. Nakamura throws high to Ibata, but Ibata is able to come down to get the force at second.

C.K. Kao follows grounding the ball to the left side. Ibata doesn't look his normal sure self, but does make the play at second for out number three. Asakura is out of another jam.

---
Top of Seventh
---
P. Munro comes in to pitch for the Uni Lions, trailing 2-1. He'll face Tanishige, Fujii, then the top of the order in Araki.

Munro walks Tanishige on four pitches to start off the seventh. That's not a good start for a pitcher.

After failing to bunt Tanishige around on the first two strikes, Fujii takes a ball outside then grounds into a force at second to Brito at third. That was actually a pretty good fielding effort by Brito to get to the ball.

With Araki at the plate, Fujii is then cut down trying to steal second. Catcher C.K. Kao threw a strike to second base this time, and the Dragons find themselves with two down and nobody on.

With the count full to Araki, he grounds the ball up the middle for a two out base hit.

With greater speed, Araki swipes second on the first pitch to Ibata. He had it cleanly despite the ball going into center field. Araki held at second on the over throw.

Ibata then hits a high chopper to second. Yang fields the ball and fires to first, safe! Araki rounds third. The throw home. Safe, safe, safe! The Dragons take a 3-1 lead with their speed. (Personally, I thought the runners were out at both first and home. But I don't have the benefit of a replay here at Tokyo Dome.)

But rally-killer "Dragonbutt" Morino grounds out to the pitcher to end the inning.

Still, the Dragons managed to scratch out an insurance run and take a 3-1 lead.

---
Bottom of Seventh
---
S.H. Yang has a lead off pinch hit bloop base hit to right. And that brings Ochiai-kantoku out of the dugout. Ochiai-kantoku doesn't come out unless he plans on changing his pitcher. And sure enough, after a short conversation with Asakura, Ochiai approaches the home plate umpire, and Y. Hisamoto is announced as the new pitcher.

Top batter S. Yang welcomes Hisamoto by flying out to B. Lee in right.

W.H. Pan follows by drilling the ball to right field, base hit.

With Brito coming up next, Ochiai-kantoku comes out and heads directly to the home plate umpire. Hisamoto is done after two pitchers. Hirai comes in.

Brito has the cuts to put the ball on the other side of the fence and take the lead back. But he's just got a pair of whiffs and a pair of balls to show for it. The 2-2 offering by Hirai misses inside, full count. The shoubu pitch is fouled off toward me behind home plate, but not quite high enough. Full count pitch again, and it's lifted high, but not deep. Ibata goes back, then comes in, and makes the catch as the umpires call it an infield fly. Two down, runners at first and second.

K.C. Kao bloops a pitch into shallow right field. That's going to be trouble! And it is. The runner from second scores! We have a one run ball game, 2-3, with runners at the corners and two down.

Number five batter F.H. Liu comes up. And Hirai gets out of the jam striking him out on a high pitch.

Still, after seven complete now, the Lions cut the lead to 2-3.

---
Top of Eighth
---
Three up, three down for the Dragons.

---
Bottom of Eighth
---
Okamoto comes in to pitch for the Dragons, and it's a three up, three down inning for him.

---
Top of Ninth
---
Koji Nakamura leads off the ninth by lining the ball past pitcher Y.P. Lin's ear and into center field. OK, it might have been a big higher than his ear. But he ducked out of the way all the same.

Tanishige bunts him along to second, and Tatsunami is announced as the pinch hitter for number nine batter Fujii.

Lin goes full count to Tatsunami before walking him. Runners at first and second, one out. Oh, and that runner at first is R. Hirata, to pinch run.

With the top of the order in Araki coming up, the pitching coach for Uni heads out for a short word with Lin.

Araki punches the first offering over the right side and into right field to load the bases with one out.

Ibata takes three straight pitches for three straight balls. The fourth offering is over for strike one. The next offering is lifted to center. The runners all touch up. And the runner from third comes in to score as the throw comes back to third base. The Dragons add a much needed insurance run with rally killer Morino coming up next.

But that's all for Lin on the mound. C.J. Pan comes in to pitch for the Uni Lions.

Morino is looking for his first hit in the Asia Series. He gets ahead in the count no strikes, three balls. The fourth offering by Pan is called strike one on the outside corner. Pan's fifth offering is taken for strike two. Full count. And Morino grounds the ball to third. Brito throws across the diamond in time, and yet another rally killed.

Still the Dragons managed one insurance run and lead 4-2 going to the bottom of the ninth.

---
Bottom of Ninth
---
Iwase comes in to pitch the ninth. He immediately goes to a full count to number nine batter T.S. Wang. After fouling a couple off, Wang lifts the ball deep to right. Lee goes back. Turns his body one way, then twists the other, and makes the catch just before the warning track. One away.

Pinch hitter C.H. Kao comes up. But he lines the ball to Lee in right field, Lee crouching forward to make the catch. The Uni Lions are down to their last out.

And they're sending up another pinch hitter, K.L. Huang. Iwase's first pitch is taken outside, ball one. The second offering is fouled off the plate and back. 1 and 1. Pitch number three is swung on and missed. Strike two. Ato ikkyu - one more pitch. The crowds starts chanting "I-wa-se, I-wa-se." And it's a swing and a miss - strike out.

That's the ball game. The Chunichi Dragons manage to win their first game of the 2007 Asia Cup, defeating Taiwan's Uni Lions by a score of 4-2.

Game finals:

Chunichi Dragons: 4 runs, 8 hits, 1 error.
Uni Lions: 2 runs, 9 hits, 2 errors.