Tag Archives: Joe Gunkel

NPB news: June 15, 2023

On Thursday, we had three pitching duels, including one mind-blowing experience in Nagoya, and a pair of knock-down drag-outs.

Thursday’s games

Buffaloes 3, Tigers 2: At Koshien Stadium, Yuma Tongu hit a game-tying ninth-inning homer and 2021 PL home champ Yutaro Sugimoto completed the comeback with a mammoth shot, his 10th, off Atsuki Yuasa (0-2).

Tongu singled in the game’s first run off Tigers starter Masashi Ito in the fourth, only for Orix’s Taisuke Yamaoka to allow a run on no-out singles to Yusuke Oyama and Ukyo Maegawa and an error by center fielder Keita Nakagawa. Ito then singled in the go-ahead run and kept the Buffaloes off the scoreboard until he left after seven.

Tigers-Buffaloes highlights
Continue reading NPB news: June 15, 2023

NPB news: May 25, 2023

There were four games in Japan Thursday, and for the second straight night, the Hanshin Tigers left it till late, while Chusei Mannami continues to have a blast with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Thursday’s games

Tigers 7, Swallows 4, 10 innings: At Jingu Stadium, Yusuke Oyama, Johan Mieses and Koji Chikamoto each homered for Hanshin. Mieses’ second homer tied it in the seventh and Chikamoto’s third put Hanshin up 3-2 in the eighth. The Swallows, took a 2-0 second-inning lead on two singles, two hit batsmen from lefty Masashi Ito, and an RBI groundout by Swallows starting pitcher Cy Sneed.

Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, Tetsuto Yamada and Munetaka Murakami singled to put runners on the corners, and reliever Ren Kajiya balked in the tying run.

The Tigers retook the lead in the 10th with the help of an intentional walk that put two on after Chikamoto singled and stole second. A Sheldon Neuse single loaded them up, and Oyama drew a bases-loaded walk. With two outs, Teruaki Sato hit a fly to the warning track to clear the bases.

With the horses gone, Murakami locked the barn door with a consolation home run, his eighth in the bottom of the 10th. The Swallows fell to 0-7-1 in their last eight games, while Hanshin has won its last five.

Continue reading NPB news: May 25, 2023