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.
