Takahiro Norimoto took the mound against the Orix Buffaloes on Wednesday with a chance to move the Rakuten Eagles within one game of clinching the Pacific League’s final playoff spot in a game that also impacted the pennant race.
In the Central League, the main event was at Koshien Stadium in the season’s final meeting between the Hanshin Tigers and the Yakult Swallows, while the Giants’ had another shot at snapping a winless streak that reached 13 on Tuesday.
Sunday’s games brought us some weirdness and ended with a night game between the skilled professionals of the Central League’s top two teams in which 25 runners were left on base. It was the baseball version of an Olympic gold medal wrestling match being held in a mud pit.
A request for change
Lotte Marines manager Tadahito Iguchi said he would file an opinion paper questioning the efficacy of Japan’s replay review “Request System”.
