Interleague Day 6 – CL hanging in there

After six days of interleague play, the CL maintained its lead on Sunday, splitting the day’s three games to improve to 17-14-3 in the way one would expect the CL to be leading that is by doing better in close games since the CL are now being outscored 157-146.

In 2009, the one year the CL lead the PL in wins, CL clubs went 70-67 while being outscored 613-588. The CL has never scored more runs than the PL. The PL’s current run edge projects a Pythagorean win percentage of .536. The PL’s historic Pyathagorean win percentage prior to this year is .547.

Hawks’ streak goes up in Smoak

Giants 4, Hawks 3

At Fukuoka’s PayPay Dome, Kazuma Okamoto stayed tied for the CL home run lead with his 14th, breaking a 2-2 fifth-inning tie and marking the first time in the series the Giants had led after the second inning. Justin Smoak drove in Yomiuri’s other three runs, with a first-inning single and an eighth-inning homer, his sixth.

Tsuyoshi Wada (3-3) allowed runs in the first inning for the first time this season, but he after one good start he was back to struggling again, dangerous when he could locate vulnerable when he couldn’t. Shosei Togo (5-2) pitched out of a couple of jams, retiring Yuya Hasegawa and Wladimir Balentien, with the bases loaded in the fifth to preserve his one-run lead.

Probably the most notable thing about this game was how weak the umpiring was, in particular a strikeout call on a 3-2 pitch to Zelous Wheeler that wasn’t called and a tag out on the runner moving that wasn’t called and took a while to sort out.

Rubby De La Rosa faced one batter in the ninth with the tying and go-ahead runners on base, but struck out Takuya Kai looking to end the game and earn his seventh save.

The Giants’ win against the Hawks was their first since June 22, 2019.

Dragons 4, Fighters 1

At Sapporo Dome, Dayan Viciedo was the big wheel for Chunichi, doubling and scoring the opening run in the second off Nippon Ham’s Robbie Erlin (1-1) and homering, his seventh, in the fourth to make it 2-0. Koji Fukutani (3-4), the Dragon’s Opening Day starter, worked six innings, allowing a run on a walk and five hits while striking out seven.

Eagles 5, BayStars 1

At Sendai’s Rakuten Seimei Park, Rakuten rookie Takahisa Hayakawa and DeNA ace Shota Imanaga locked up in a 1-1 pitchers’ duel in an impressive start for both. Takero Okajima broke the tie in the seventh with a two-run triple, and the Eagles added on two more in the ninth against new import Kevin Shackelford.

Tigers 9, Lions 8

At MetLife Dome, Yoshio Itoi got a start for Hanshin and is if to remind the team that he’s still there, he maintained his record of homering in all his starts. He hit his third, while scoring three and driving in three, and Tigers catcher Ryutaro Umeno homered, his first, drove in three and scored two.

Marines 7, Carp 1

At Chiba’s Zozo Marine Stadium, new Hiroshima import Dovydas Neverauskas (0-1) had a rough baptism to Japanese ball, walking five as he allowed three runs over 2-2/3 innings, while lefty Kazuya Ojima (2-2) held the Carp to a run over six innings.

Buffaloes 8, Swallows 7

At Osaka‘s Kyocera Dome, Taichi Ishiyama (0-4), who had been pushed down from closing to setup duties, allowed three runners in the eighth, leaving with two on and a run and handing Masataka Yoshida off to Scott McGough, who surrendered a two-run double to Orix’s pocket battleship, who had three RBIs in the game. Yutaro Sugimoto hit a two-run homer in the first off Yakult’s Albert Suarez, his 12th.

Jose Osuna and Munetaka Murakami each drove in two runs for the Swallows, Murakami with his 14th home run. Hirotoshi Masui turned in a credible start for the Buffaloes, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out six, hitting one and giving up three hits.

Active roster moves 5/30/2021

Deactivated players can be re-activated from 6/9

Central League

Activated

Dectivated

Pacific League

Activated

Dectivated