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Central League

Carp 3, Dragons 2

At Miyoshi, Yusuke Nomura (3-2) allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings, and Ryosuke Kikuchi‘s two-out bases-loaded single opened the scoring in the fifth. Chunichi starter Yudai Ono (3-3) was one strike away from escaping a no-out bases-loaded pickle. But Kikuchi fouled off four two-strike pitches before singling off Ono’s ninth pitch.

Two days after Makoto Aduwa became the first pitcher to throw seven-plus scoreless innings without a strikeout in over six years, Nomura missed matching that feat by striking out Shuhei Takahashi in the fourth inning.

Geronimo Franzua worked a 1-2-3 eighth, but closer Shota Nakazaki worked around a walk, a hit batsman, two doubles and a home run to escape with his fifth save.

Hiroshima’s eighth straight win moved them into first place for the first time since they won on Opening Day.

Tigers 3, Swallows 2

At Koshien Stadium, Hanshin side-armer Koyo Aoyagi (4-3) allowed an unearned run over six innings. Pierce Johnson worked around a single and a walk to work a scoreless eighth, while Rafael Dolis recorded his ninth save.

Swallows right-hander Juri Hara (2-4) allowed all three runs over six innings, surrendering six hits and three walks, while hitting two batters.

Yakult’s Wladimir Balentien, held out of the starting lineup, pinch-hit in the ninth, grounding into a game-ending double play, the Swallows fourth GDP of the game and the 44th turned by the Hanshin infield this season.

GDP turned (through 5/19/2019)

Tigers 40
Giants 32
Carp 30
Hawks 28
Fighters 27 in 238 opportunities
Marines 27 in 296 opportunities
Dragons 27 in 302 opportunities
Lions 27 in 341 opportunities
Buffaloes 26
Swallows 24
Eagles 22
BayStars 20

Pacific League

Eagles 13, Fighters 3

At Sapporo Dome, Hideto Asamura worked a two-out, first-inning walk off Chihiro Kaneko (1-3), and back-to-back doubles by Zelous Wheeler and Ginji Akaminai made it 2-0. Asamura, who led the PL in RBIs last season with Seibu, iced the game with a three-run, sixth-inning homer, his third straight game with a home run.

Rakuten’s Takahiro Shiomi (1-0), allowed two runs on two walks and four hits over six innings to win his season debut. It was the lefty’s first game since he had back surgery in October. Kaneko, who joined the Fighters this year after a contract dispute with Orix entitled him to file for free agency, allowed four runs, three earned over three innings.

Marines 8, Buffaloes 4

At Kyocera Dome, Lotte mauled Orix closer Hirotoshi Masui (0-1) for four runs, two earned, to break open a 4-4 tie in the ninth. Ikuhiro Kiyota‘s three-run, fourth-inning homer gave the visitors a 4-2 lead, but veteran right-hander Hideaki Wakui allowed the Buffaloes to tie it in the sixth.

The Marines bullpen trio of Yuji Nishino, Tomohito Sakai (2-1) and Naoya Masuda delivered three perfect innings of relief.

Orix’s Masataka Yoshida went 2-for-3 with a homer, a walk and two runs, became the first domestic player in franchise history to hit 10-plus home runs in each of his first four pro seasons.

Lions 7, Hawks 6

At Okinawa Cellular Stadium, local hero Hotaka Yamakawa broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh with his NPB-leading 20th home run, bringing the Naha fans to their feet.

Takumi Kuriyama opened the scoring with a two-run, second-inning homer off Okinawa-native Nao Higashihama (2-2), while Seibu’s Ken Togame (2-0) held the Hawks to a Yurisbel Gracial solo home run over six innings.

Trailing 4-1 in the seventh, the Hawks brought it within a run in the top of the seventh against reliever Katsunori Hirai, who allowed two hits and three walks. The Hawks pulled within two in the top of the eighth on back-to-back two-out passed balls by Lions catcher Tomoya Mori and added another run in the ninth on a Gracial RBI single but left the bases loaded.

In other news

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeted that the SoftBank Hawks have a deal in place to acquire the pitcher Carter Stewart, who did not sign with Atlanta after the Braves drafted him with their first pick in 2018.
Yomiuri Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano has been deactivated for the first time in two seasons, due to discomfort in his lower back. The Sawamura Award winner for the past two seasons is 5-3 with a 4.36 ERA — 11th among 12 qualified pitchers.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic tweeted Tuesday that the SoftBank Hawks had reached an agreement with American junior college pitcher Carter Stewart, a report the Hawks are refusing to comment on.

As reported in December from the winter meetings, the well-financed Hawks are in a good position to raid top amateur talent from the United States now that MLB has instituted hard caps on money paid to amateurs. While Japanese teams are likewise restricted in how much they can offer amateurs acquired in Nippon Professional Baseball’s amateur draft, there are no limits on amounts spent on foreign players, professional or otherwise.

RHP Carter Stewart, who attended Eastern Florida State College after failing to sign with the #Braves as the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft, is in agreement on a contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 21, 2019

Stewart, whom the Atlanta Braves drafted out of high school in the first round of MLB’s 2018 June draft, did not sign with Atlanta after the club discovered medical concerns with the pitcher’s right wrist and made him an offer about half of the $4.5 million he was seeking according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

In December, I asked Stewart’s agent, Scott Boras about whether or not NPB could exploit the current situation, and not surprisingly, he was all for it

“You’d like to see (NPB) greater involved than what it is. I think it’s very wise for the Japanese teams to take a look at amateurs.”
Carter Stewart’s agent Scott Bora in December at the baseball winter meetings.

MLB agents have said it would be impossible for an American player to evade the draft, play in Japan and enter the majors through the posting system in place with NPB, but that might be tested should the player in question establish Japanese residence. Mind you, MLB would fight long and hard to prevent amateurs from subverting the establishment’s “right” to use draft signing pools to subvert amateurs’ rights to fair value for their labor.

Assuming that a residence loophole is possible, that leaves two ways an elite U.S. amateur might sign with a Japanese club.

Evade the draft (above) and play in Japan until he is eligible for international free agency.
Play for a year or two and establish himself as an elite player in order to re-enter the MLB draft.

NPB International directors spoken to recently said they are frequently contacted by agents of amateur players who would like their clients to play in Japan in order to pursue the second goal. If Stewart does agree to join the Hawks, that would likely be the target course — and would allow the Hawks to test the waters in signing U.S. amateur talent for the future.

Because the Hawks have stated their opposition to the posting system, it is unlikely they would post a U.S. player, assuming a residence loophole could be established. Were they to make an exception for an American 25-year-old and post him, it would be much harder for the Hawks to deny their domestic players the same opportunity.

The problem, however, is not just about the rules. If a Japanese team is going to shell out money to a player, they want something in return other than his agent’s gratitude. They’ll want a club option that lets them keep him if he is productive, and that would negate the agent’s purpose of using Japan as an easy springboard for the draft.

writing & research on Japanese baseball