Monday’s games

Other news

• Active roster moves
• Announced starting pitchers

Fukutani bats, pitches Dragons to victory

Right-hander Koji Fukutani, a former first-round pick who spent his first six pro seasons as a reliever, allowed two runs over six innings and doubled in the go-ahead run for the Chunichi Dragons in their 3-2 win over the Yomiuri Giants at Nagoya Dome.

Fukutani (6-2) allowed six hits but no walks while striking out two, came up in the second with the game tied 2-2 after Toshiki Abe’s 10th homer of the season. Catcher Takuya Kinoshita walked, and Fukutani doubled him home.

“He is a good hitter,” Dragons manager Tsuyoshi Yoda said of Fukutani, whose first career double improved his career batting to 3-for-21. “He was really working hard before the game in BP.”

Fukutani said he went up looking for a first-pitch fastball from Toshiki Sakurai (2-4).

“I was looking for one but I didn’t imagine I was going to hit it,” Fukutani said of an inside-out swing that drove a low pitch into the gap in right-center. “I’ve been swinging the bat a lot recently, but I was beginning to think I was incapable of squaring a pitch up.”

“The instant I hit, I felt, ‘I’ve never hit a ball so well in my life.'”

The right-hander surrendered back-to-back hits in the Giants’ third, but got a double play to defuse the would-be rally. Zoilo Almonte prevented the Giants from tying it in the sixth when he robbed Yoshihiro Maru of a two-out RBI double in left.

“The way Almonte and (second baseman) Abe were picking it today, gave me courage. They made me feel that all I had to do was make my pitches and things were going to work out,” Fukutani said.

Lefty Hiroto Fuku, and right-handers Daisuke Sobue and Raidel Martinez protected the lead over the final three innings, with Martinez turning in an electrifying ninth as he struck out three and walked one to earn his 18th save.

Active roster moves 10/12/2020

Deactivated players can be re-activated from 10/22

Central League

Activated

Dectivated

Pacific League

Activated

None

Dectivated

Starting pitchers for Oct. 13, 2020

Pacific League

Fighters vs Lions: Sapporo Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT

Naoyuki Uwasawa (8-4, 2.30) vs Kona Takahashi (6-8, 4.21)

Marines vs Eagles: Zozo Marine Stadium 6 pm, 5 am EDT

Ayumu Ishikawa (7-4, 4.17) vs Takahiro Norimoto (5-5, 3.95)

Buffaloes vs Hawks: Kyocera Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-3, 2.26) vs Shunsuke Kasaya (2-3, 3.29)

Central League

Giants vs Carp: Tokyo Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT

Tomoyuki Sugano (13-0, 1.89) vs Allen Kuri (5-5, 3.65)

Swallows vs BayStars: Jingu Stadium 6 pm, 5 am EDT

Hirotoshi Takanashi (3-4, 4.74) vs Shinichi Onuki (8-4, 2.26)

Dragons vs Tigers: Nagoya Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT

Akiyoshi Katsuno (3-4, 3.78) vs Haruto Takahashi (4-3, 2.07)