The Nippon Ham Fighters entered Sunday’s game trailing the SoftBank Hawks by 4-1/2 games, having been in second place since July 7 with the Seibu Lions hard on their heels a half-game further back…
As a result of a narrow loss to the Hawks and a come-from-behind win by Seibu in Sendai, the FIghters fell out of second place for the first time in over a month.
Pacific League
Hawks 2, Fighters 0
At Yafuoku Dome, Nippon Ham stranded 12 runners, three each in the third and fourth innings against Cuban lefty Ariel Miranda (6-3), and SoftBank snuck two runs across in the fifth inning against Bryan Rodriguez (6-3).
“If your pitchers don’t give up any runs, you’re going to win games,” Hawks manager Kimiyasu Kudo said.
Game highlights are HERE.
Lions 4, Marines 2
At Zozo Marine Stadium, Seibu’s 35-year-old Takumi Kuriyama broke a 2-2, eighth-inning tie with a two-run home run, the 100th of his career, in a come-from-behind win over Lotte that propelled the Lions into second place, five games back of the Hawks.
The veteran pumped his fist uncharacteristically upon giving his team the lead.
“It’s all about the situation, you know. I got excited,” he said.
Game highlights are HERE.
Eagles 8, Buffaloes 2
At Rakuten Seimei Park, Rakuten shortstop Eigoro Mogi delivered the big blow, a sixth-inning grand slam, moments after Orix’s Stefen Romero hit a two-run homer to tie it in Sendai.
Game highlights are HERE.
Central League
Giants 7, Swallows 1
At Tokyo Dome, Yomiuri won a duel of left-handed starting pitchers named “Takahashi,” as Yuki (4-4) beat Yakult rookie southpaw Keiji (4-4) with the help of two home runs and four RBIs from Alex Guerrero.
Yuki, who last won three months earlier, struck out nine while allowing a run over six innings.
New Giant and two-time reigning CL MVP, Yoshihiro Maru, reached 20 home runs in a season for the fourth-straight year.
Game highlights are HERE.
Dragons 10, BayStars 7
At Yokohama Stadium, Nobumasa Fukuda broke a 5-5, sixth-inning tie with a grand slam as Chunichi overcame a 5-1 deficit to avoid being swept by DeNA.
The BayStars came from behind in the second inning to give lefty Shota Imanaga a commanding lead on a two-out Masayuki Kuwahara two-run single and a three-run homer from Yoshitomo Tsutsugo. But Imanaga left after throwing 82 pitches through five innings, and the bullpen collapsed behind him.
Game highlights are HERE.
Tigers 6, Carp 5
At Kyocera Dome, Hanshin came back against the Hiroshima bullpen in the late innings for the second-straight night.
Jefry Marte and Yangervis Solarte set the table with no-out singles in the eighth against Takeru Imamura. Yusuke Oyama, who hit the three-run, sayonara homer that ended Saturday’s game brought the Tigers within a run with two-run double.
With one out, Kento Itohara doubled off closer Geronimo Franzua to tie it. A misplay put the lead runner on third and scored on a fielder’s choice.
Kyuji Fujikawa worked a 1-2-3 ninth to record his sixth-straight save.
Game highlights are HERE.
