game report Playoffs

CS Final Stage Game 2: This Is It

Our Marines have reached the end of the season: Thursday’s 6-1 loss at Fukuoka means that if Chiba is to play on we must win 4 in a row.

Doable!

But, not so easy. Remember back to 2010 and this team was in a similarly precarious position. Down 3-1, needing to win out to advance, having far from the best starters available for the first two games (Shunsuke and Yuta, actually), the guys took those first two close games before Naruse shut down the Hawks to advance.

In some ways what faces Lotte is a bit simpler – yes, it’s 4 in a row instead of 3 in a row, but the next three starting pitchers are sure to be Ishikawa, Chen, and Wakui. That’s really good! All bats are available. The small visitor section is still mighty in voice, easily louder than the rest of the stadium combined. We can do this!

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game report Playoffs

If It’s Lotte Golden Year, We Must Go Through Fukuoka

I have no voice, nothing left in me at all right now.  But I must tell you this, fellow traveller in Lotte fandom – Our beloved Marines sent Nippon Hamu to an early bedtime on this Monday with a tense, thrilling 2-1 win in Sapporo.  The streak of first round victories in the playoffs is intact, the Golden Year dream lives on.  It’s a wonderful day to be a Lotte supporter.

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celebration game report

A-Class, Baby, A-Class!

Two weeks ago Our Marines looked to be dead in the water. Back-to-back losses with only 3 hits combined left the guys reeling at 6 games under – dropping out of 4th seemed more likely than seizing 3rd. 12 games later and Chiba’s racked up 10 wins and just two losses – by a combined 2 runs – and with two games remaining on the 2015 Regular Season calendar Lotte has booked a ticket to Sapporo and the first stage of the Climax Series.

What a truly an amazing turn of events!

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game report

Let’s Go To Sapporo AGAIN!

Seibu’s season has ended with what is surely a heartbreaking loss for them at Orix.

Lotte’ just wrapped up a 2-game set in Sapporo with a mini-sweep, a total dusting of the second place Fighters.

“But Steeeeeve, what does all this meaaaaaan?” I can hear you ask. What it means is simple – 5 games remain in the 2015 Pacific League regular season for Our Marines, 4 of them at home, and if we can take just two of those five remaining we’re going back to Sapporo for the Climax Series.

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