Every Year is Golden Year in Chiba
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.
On Monday night at a jam-packed, roaring Seibu Dome, the hated Lions had a chance to virtually end Chiba’s season with a defeat. Instead, ace (yeah, I said it) Ishikawa delivered a wonderful start, the bullpen brought out their best pitching, and the mighty bat of one Alfredo Despaigne smashed through Seibu’s pitching to earn a absolutely essential 4-2 victory.
Yes, four members of our Lotte Marines have been selected to represent the Pacific League in the 2015 All Star Series: Ikuhiro Kiyota, Hideaki Wakui, Katsuya Kakunaka, and Luis Cruz. Before we get into that though, let’s do a quick update on the state of Lotteland.
Our Marines finished the 2015 interleague season with a winning record of 10-8, pulling themselves back up to the .500 in the process totaling 31 wins and 31 losses on the season.
We come into the forty game mark at 4-4 since we last checked in and 18-22 overall.
Golden Week concluded with the ninth game in nine days for Our Marines. Lotte went 4-5 in those 9 days, and 5-7 overall in the 12 games since we last checked in at the 20-game mark.
Our Marines have dropped four of their last ten since we last checked in at the ten game mark.
Ten games in and Our Marines are at an even .500 with five wins and five losses.
Our Marines took the first series of the year two-games-to-one over the Hawks in Fukuoka. That’s wins for Wakui and Rhee, with Chen taking the tough luck loss in game 2. All three of these guys weren’t even on the team two years ago, with Chen and Rhee coming over as free agents this year. Not bad way to start the season in the defending champ’s building.
Lotte Fans – the season has just begun for Our Marines, and am overjoyed to report so far it is a SMASHING success!