Thursday’s games
Other news
Ono hurls 6th shutout, scoreless streak at 45
Chunichi Dragons lefty Yudai Ono (10-5) went the distance for the 10th time on Thursday to win a 1-0 nail-biting Central League win over the DeNA BayStars at Nagoya Dome.
Ono allowed six hits but no walks while striking out six. He also started two double plays, made a slick behind-the-back catch for the second out of the ninth inning and notched a big strikeout to end the eighth inning after the BayStars put two runners in scoring position.
After winning a tough battle to strike out pinch-hitter Taishi Kusumoto with his 111th pitch, the extraordinarily cool Ono slapped his glove and pumped his fist as he returned to the dugout.
The Dragons loaded the bases with no outs in the first against BayStars starter Kentaro Taira (3-5) but only managed to score on a Dayan Viciedo sacrifice fly.
Taira allowed four hits and a walk while striking out six over seven innings. Edwin Escobar worked a scoreless ninth for the BayStars.
Okamoto powers Giants past Swallows
Yomiuri Giants cleanup hitter Kazuma Okamoto homered and drove in three runs while Angel Sanchez (8-3) and three relievers combined on a four-hit 6-0 win over the Yakult Swallows at Tokyo’s Jingu Stadium.
Swallows rookie Daiki Yoshida (2-7) took the loss, allowing four runs in two-plus innings. He walked in the game’s first run with a bases-loaded walk to Zelous Wheeler.
Carp’s Yabuta ends victory drought
Kazuki Yabuta (1-2) allowed two runs over six innings to earn his first win in two seasons, and Jose Pirela put the game on ice with his 11th home run, a three-run shot in the ninth as the Hiroshima Carp beat the Hanshin Tigers 9-5 at Koshien Stadium.
Pirela was walked intentionally in the Carp’s two-run first and also doubled and singled. Fumiya Haraguchi hit a three-run pinch-hit homer for the Tigers to make it a 6-5 game in the sixth.
Moore pitches Hawks to 11th straight win
Matt Moore (6-3) struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings to outpitch 19-year-old rookie Kosei Yoshida (0-1) in a 4-2 win over the Nippon Ham Fighters at Sapporo Dome.
The win was the Hawks’ 11th straight as the three-time defending Japan Series champs drive toward their first Pacific League pennant in three years. The win, and the Marines’ loss, dropped SoftBank’s magic number to clinch to six.
Yoshida, the standout pitching star of the 2018 national high school championships at Koshien, was the Fighters’ second pick that year. He went 1-3 in four starts last season. On Thursday, he allowed four runs, two earned, in six innings.
Hawks closer Yuito Mori, pitching for the first time in nine days—when the Hawks last had a save opportunity to give him—allowed Sho Nakata’s 30th home run with one out before earning his 28th save with the potential tying runs on base.
Neal, Spangenberg, Tonosaki hold off Marines
Zach Neal (5-7) allowed a run in five innings, and was backed by a two-run Corey Spangenberg home run and a three-run Shuta Tonosaki blast in the Seibu Lions’ 7-4 win over the Lotte Marines at MetLife Dome.
Marines lefty Kazuya Ojima (7-8) allowed six runs over five innings. The Marines came back in a three-run sixth against Reed Garrett, but Tetsu Miyagawa, Ryosuke Moriwaki and Kaima Taira finished up with one scoreless inning apiece. After a couple of shaky outings, regular closer Tatsushi Masuda was given a breather as the rookie Taira earned his first save of the season and the second of his career.
Ernesto Mejia doubled to lead off the eighth to set up a Lions insurance run. In addition to his home run, Sotozaki singled, doubled, was hit by a pitch and contributed to the Marines’ tying the game 1-1 with an error in the outfield.
Romero blasts Buffaloes
Stefen Romero homered twice walked and drove in four runs as the veteran right-hander Takayuki Kishi (5-0) overcame a three-run Adam Jones home run in the Rakuten Eagles’ 6-3 win over the Orix Buffaloes at Sendai’s Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi.
Romero’s 22nd home run, a three-run shot off lefty Daiki Tajima (4-6) made it 5-0 in the fifth innings. Adam Jones went deep off Kishi with his 12th homer in the top of the sixth. Romero hit his 23rd in the eighth off Yu Suzuki to complete the scoring.
Nomi joins Fukudome inTigers checkout line
Hanshin Tigers lefty Atsushi Nomi, who was for many years the ace of the iconic Central League club, revealed Thursday that the Tigers do not expect to keep him for next season, Sponichi Annex reported.
The 41-year-old, who in 2004 selected the Tigers when he turned pro the following year out of corporate league club Osaka Gas, has a career record of 103-94. Since 2018, he has been working out of the Tigers bullpen.
In a comment released by the club, Nomi said, “It is true I’ve spoken with the team about the future, but I won’t be the one to repeat the content of that discussion.”
“The one thing I want to say to all the fans is that this year will be last to play before everyone wearing a Tigers uniform.”
The news came a day after sources revealed that Japan’s oldest player, 43-year-old outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was told this week that he is surplus to the team’s needs next year.
Bour, Martin deactivated
Hanshin Tigers first baseman Justin Bour was deactivated on Thursday, as was outfielder Leonys Martin of the Pacific League’s Lotte Marines.
Martin sprained his left ankle running to first base in Wednesday’s game against the Seibu Lions and was unable to leave the field without assistance. The right fielder, who joined the club in the summer of 2019, has 25 home runs this season.
Bour’s deactivation is his first since he joined the Tigers over the winter. He took part in Thursday’s pregame practice as usual.
Active roster moves 10/22/2020
Deactivated players can be re-activated from 11/1
Central League
Activated
| BayStars | OF | 61 | Tatsuo Ebina |
| Carp | P | 23 | Kazuki Yabuta |
| Carp | OF | 37 | Takayoshi Noma |
| Swallows | C | 57 | Yudai Koga |
Dectivated
| BayStars | P | 94 | Takamasa Kasai |
| Tigers | IF | 41 | Justin Bour |
| Carp | P | 58 | Reira Fujii |
| Carp | OF | 38 | Koki Ugusa |
| Swallows | C | 30 | Akihisa Nishida |
Pacific League
Activated
| Marines | OF | 25 | Hiromi Oka |
| Marines | OF | 31 | Tsuyoshi Sugano |
| Fighters | P | 18 | Kosei Yoshida |
Dectivated
| Eagles | P | 43 | Sung Chia-hao |
| Marines | IF | 68 | Kenji Nishimaki |
| Marines | OF | 79 | Leonys Martin |
Starting pitchers for Oct. 22, 2020
Pacific League
Eagles vs Fighters: Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Yuya Fukui (0-4, 5.26) vs Nick Martinez (2-6, 4.57)
Buffaloes vs Marines: Kyocera Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Taisuke Yamaoka (2-5, 2.78) vs Kota Futaki (7-2, 3.07)
Hawks vs Lions: PayPay Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Shuta Ishikawa (8-3, 2.63) vs Tatsuya Imai (3-3, 5.50)
Central League
Giants vs Tigers: Tokyo Dome 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Nobutaka Imamura (3-2, 3.45) vs Yuki Nishi (10-4, 2.05)
Swallows vs Dragons: Jingu Stadium 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Hiroaki Saiuchi (1-2, 4.70) vs Yariel Rodriguez (3-4, 4.23)
BayStars vs Carp: Yokohama Stadium 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Masaya Kyoyama (1-1, 6.50) vs Hiroki Tokoda (3-7, 5.77)
