Tag Archives: Jose Osuna

Baseball, Free, News

NPB news: April 7, 2024

Leave a comment

In Japan on Sunday, Roki Sasaki turned things around without his famous heat, Yakult’s bullpen didn’t blow up, Hiroshima completed a quiet weekend, the Giants are enjoying their newly acquired submarine and the Seibu Lions’ hitters took no prisoners in Hokkaido.

Sunday’s games

Swallows 3, Tigers 1: At Jingu “Tokyo’s Sacrifice to Corporate Greed and Governmental Malfeasance” Stadium, Yakult’s bullpen failed to lose its fifth straight game, providing scoreless relief after starter Miguel Yagure (2-0) went 5-2/3 innings

Yakult’s Jose Osuna scored Haruki Nishikawa with his first home run, in the first off Hiroto Saiki (0-1). Hanshin got a run back against new import Yagure on a Seiya Kinami leadoff single and a Koji Chikamoto one-out triple. Yagure issued five walks and left with two runners on base in the sixth, whom Taishi Ishiyama stranded before working another inning.

Setup man Noboru Shimizu, who took the loss in both of Yakult’s games in Hiroshima this week, allowed one hit to record his first save in three years.

Continue reading NPB news: April 7, 2024 →
Baseball, Commentary, Free, News

NPB news: April 4, 2024

Leave a comment

Thursday brought us five games, with the Eagles and Fighters taking the day off, with three come-from-behind wins, and an important win for a big-name pitcher, while the curse of Japan’s obsession with one-run tactics helps trigger a late-inning implosion. All in a day’s baseball.

Before I get to the games, reader and all-around gracious gentleman David Laurila of Fan Graphs asked about Japan’s pension for pulling the outfield in so much, and I’ll share my answer after the game recaps.

Thursday’s games

Buffaloes 2, Lions 1: At Seibu Half Dome, Kohei Azuma (1-0) allowed a run on three hits over seven innings as Orix avoided being swept by Seibu and the right-hander improved to 8-0 in his career.

Brazilian Bo Takahashi (0-1) allowed two runs, one earned, on two walks and three hits. Yuichi Adachi created a 1-0 lead in the third. He drew a leadoff walk, took second on a passed ball, was sacrificed to third and scored on Kenya Wakatsuki‘s sacrifice fly. Masahiro Nishino doubled and scored on a single by DH and former Lion Tomoya Mori.

Shuta Tonosaki homered in the seventh before Andres Machado and Yoshihisa Hirano each put two runners on en route to a scoreless inning. Hirano’s 244th career save in Japan moved him out of a tie for fourth with former Tigers closer Kyuji Fujikawa. He is now eight shy of No. 3, Hall of Famer Kazuhiro Sasaki.

Continue reading NPB news: April 4, 2024 →