We had five games Tuesday, but this is going to be short since the day job has required I do an early shift to write about MLB stuff. It’s also Roki Eve, so Wednesday will be more substantial. Sasaki will match up with Jharel Cottton, who Orix has been using as a short starter, a pitcher who has yet to be allowed to face a batter three times.
Tuesday’s games
Buffaloes 4, Marines 3: At Osaka Dome, Orix hit into three double plays but Leo Cedeno hit a third-inning grand slam off C.C. Mercedes (3-5). Orix’s Sachiya Yamasaki (7-2) June’s Pacific League pitching MVP, worked five innings and only faced one tight spot, but surrendered three runs.
The win moved Orix two full games ahead of the Hawks, with Lotte falling 2-1/2 off the pace.
Eagles 3, Fighters 2: At Kitahiroshima Taxpayers Burden Field, Go Matsumoto singled in two runs for Nippon Ham as Masahiro Tanaka (5-5), who surrendered nine hits and a walk over seven innings — and for the first time in his career started a game and did not strike out a batter.
Yuya Ogo broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run fifth-inning homer off Koki Kitayama (6-4). Yuki Matsui earned his 19th save,
Tigers 7, Deniers 2: At Kurashiki Muscat Stadium, Koyo Aoyagi, whose miserable start to the season left him on the farm team trying to work things out after allowing seven runs on May 19. On Tuesday, he allowed two runs over seven innings to improve to 3-3, while Seiya Kinami went 3-for-3 with a double and five RBIs as Hanshin increased its CL lead to two games.
Wednesday will be a matchup between May’s Central League pitching MVP, Kotaro Otake and June’s MVP, DeNA’s graduate of the MLB sexual assault policy suspension program.
Giants 4, Carp 0: At Tokyo Dome, Iori Yamasaki (6-2) worked 7-2/3 shutout innings, while Hiroki Tokoda (7-2) gave up home runs to Sho Nakata, Yuto Akihiro and former Carp Yoshihiro Maru.
Dragons 5, Swallows 2: At Jingu Stadium, Yuya Yanagi (3-6) allowed two runs over six inning, while Cy Sneed (5-5) allowed four homers, Takaya Ishikawa’s seventh and eighth, and Seiya Hosokawa’s 11th. Yakult loaded the bases after two were out in the ninth, but a comebacker sealed Raidel Martinez’s 20th save.
