The final stage of Japan’s Central and Pacific leagues’ Foreplay Series began Wednesday in Tokyo and Osaka and it was all about young arms.
I don’t know if I’d say Yakult’s 20-year-old rookie Yasunobu Okugawa overshadowed 23-year-old Japan and Orix ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, since getting a 3-0 first-inning lead, even at Jingu Stadium, is different from holding on to a 1-0 lead for eight innings, but damn what a night for the youngsters.
Okugawa was the fourth pitcher in his league to throw a shutout in his FS debut, while Yamamoto was the sixth in the PL, and the second to throw a “mushkyu”–a complete game without a walk or hit batsman, following Lotte’s Yoshihisa Naruse in 2007. Yamamoto’s 1-0 FS shutout win was the third in league history. Okugawa’s mushikyu shutout was the first in the history of CL foreplay, and a bit of a surprise since veteran umpire Kazuaki Nako appeared to have forgotten his specs.
Yamamoto struck out 10 in his four-hitter, Okugawa nine, while throwing a six-hit Maddux. Neither walked a batter. Yamamoto, however, had to deal with his team only scratching out one run against the Marines’ superb defense. Adeiny Hechavarria made a couple of show-stopping grabs, reminding me of how glad I am that this team is still playing.
“Today was Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Yamamoto. I guess you could say it was about Yamamoto.”
–Orix manager Satoshi Nakajima
Wednesday’s FS games
Buffaloes 1, Marines 0
At Kyocera Dome Osaka, Ayumu Ishikawa walked two in the first, and that was the ballgame, speedy Yuma Mune hustled home to score on a close play at the plate after Takahiro Okada hit a two-out bullet to right.
Masataka Yoshida returned for Orix for the first time since Oct. 2, ripped a single, drew a walk and was denied another hit on a flare to center by wonderful center fielder Hiromi Oka. Did I say the Marines were fun?
Ishikawa walked three and allowed five hits, but between Oka, Hechavarria, and another play by Yudai Fujioka, usually a shortstop but playing at third, Lotte squeezed the life out of the Buffaloes’ potential rallies.
Orix, with one win advantage as league champion, leads the best-of-seven series 2-0.
Swallows 4, Giants 0
At Tokyo’s Jingu Stadium, Okugawa retired the Giants in order in the first, and Yakult caught some breaks against Giants right-hander Shun Yamaguchi, who had more movement on his pitches than generally considered practical.
Leadoff man Yasutaka Shiomi doubled when Yamaguchi missed down the middle 0-1, and went to third on a groundout. After Tetsuto Yamada walked, Shiomi scored when shortstop Hayato Sakamoto made an awkward catch on a tough flare in shallow left.
Shiomi said third base coach and former speedster Kazuki Fukuchi, told Shiomi to run like hell if Sakamoto was in poor position to throw, and he beat the relay home.
Yamaguchi missed with his next pitch down the pipe and Domingo Santana put it in the seats and grasped his good fortune that the game was being played at the Swallows’ home run-friendly ballpark.
“It didn’t feel that good but we’re at Jingu, so thank God.”
–Domingo Santana
Shiomi who went 2-for-4 after he was robbed of a leadoff hit by Giants right fielder Seiya Matsubara, doubled in an insurance run in the eighth.
Yakult, with one win advantage as league champion, leads the best-of-seven series 2-0.
A final note. The Giants and Swallows finished the season 11-11-3 against each other, the Marines and Buffaloes 10-10-5.
Starting pitchers
Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara isn’t messing around, and instead of waiting to use his nephew and ace Tomoyuki Sugano in Game 3, has decided to commit him early. Otherwise, Games 2 will be lefties for the home teams and righties for the visitors.
Buffaloes vs Marines: Kyocera Dome (Osaka) 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Daiki Tajima (8-8, 3.58) vs Manabu Mima (6-7, 4.92)
Swallows vs Giants: Jingu Stadium 6 pm, 5 am EDT
Keiji Takahashi (4-1, 2.87) vs Tomoyuki Sugano (6-7, 3.19)
