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NPB news: May 24, 2022

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Welcome to interleague 2022, where Day 1 looked like a summary of last year’s competition, when the Central League won the most games but was outscored. On Tuesday, CL clubs went 4-2, while PL clubs scored 21 and allowed 17.

But baseball isn’t about who is better or plays better, it’s about who wins, because the championship matters.

We also had a milestone of sorts for Tatsunori Hara, and some heroics that really got Tsuyoshi Shinjo excited.

While PL TV is once more streaming the Giants’ and Tigers’ home interleague games, the highlights are not part of the package…

Shall we get to it?

Giants 4, Buffaloes 2: At Tokyo Dome, Orix setup man Jesse Biddle (3-2) issued back-to-back no-out walks in the eighth, and Adam Walker singled in a run to break the 2-2 tie. Kazuma Okamoto, who opened the scoring with a two-run fourth-inning homer, his 13th, off Taisuke Yamaoka, brought home an insurance run with a ground ball.

Adam Walker hero interview

The Buffaloes, last year’s interleague winners, tied it in the seventh against Giants lefty C.C. Mercedes. Keita Nakagawa, whose been on an absolute tear, doubled to open the inning with his third hit of the game. Joe McCarthy was hit for the second time, and Yutaro Sugimoto singled to load the bases. Mercedes got two outs before Kodai Sano’s pinch-hit single tied it.

Continue reading NPB news: May 24, 2022 →
Baseball, Free, News

NPB news: May 20, 2022

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It’s Roki Sasaki Friday, and the 20-year-old had a run-of-the-mill start, going six innings and missing a lot, but also averaging 101.1 mph on his fastball as he matched up with Kodai Senga for the second time in two weeks.

After the game, Hawks skipper Hiroshi Fujimoto had some harsh words for Senga and regular catcher Takuya Kai over their lack of faith in the fastball, both of whom he yanked from the game after four innings.

In Hiroshima, Ryan McBroom went McBoom, while the Tigers and Giants played a wild one. Also, there was bad news for the Rakuten Eagles.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

Wakui kind of bent out of shape

The Rakuten Eagles found out Friday that they’ll be without right-hander Hideaki Wakui for about three months after he fractured his right middle finger in Wednesday’s game against Lotte. Wakui is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA in six starts this season.

“On top of the crack in the bone, it was kind of dislocated, so I’m guessing it’s going to take a while,” Rakuten manager Kazuhisa Ishii said.

Friday’s games

Marines 8, Hawks 1: At Fukuoka Dome, Sasaki (5-0) struck out nine, walked two and hit a batter while allowing six hits. He had the best velocity of his career away from home, but often missed badly with all his pitches, and many of his forkballs in the zone flattened out.

 The Hawks did little with those cookies, however. I suppose when the guy can blow gas past you, and that’s what you’re expecting, everything else might be a tough slog.

Continue reading NPB news: May 20, 2022 →