This one didn’t go as planned. Karakawa returned to the mound the day before his 20th birthday looking for his last win as a teen. He pitched solidly but took the loss instead as Lotte dropped their second game in a row to Orix, 4-1. That also brings Lotte’s season record with Orix to a …
Game Report: Orix vs Lotte, 3 July
Thursday night’s game left me wired. I woke up on Friday morning still thinking of the end to that game, and when I went into the office many others wanted to discuss it too. I thought it the sort of game a team could build upon, a game where you face your biggest rival in …
Game Report: Lotte vs Seibu, 2 July
This game just ended and man am I stoked! What a nailbiter! In what has got to be in the running for the longest 12-inning Pa-League game in history at 5:43 (by my count), Lotte and Seibu combined for 17 runs and 27 hits, many bases-loaded situations, and piles of drama much like Rocky and …
Mini Game Report: Lotte vs Seibu, 1 July
I had started this report after last night’s game with Seibu but didn’t have a chance to finish it. Well, after today’s great game I don’t really wish to dwell on Wednesday’s 11-6 loss to Seibu; hence, it’s only a mini-report. The positives: Iguchi’s first inning RBI single, Imae’s big blasts in back to back …
Game Report: Lotte vs Seibu, 30 June
No photos today – no photos needed to illustrate the lovely, see-saw, extra-innings, dramatic 8-6 victory over Seibu in Tokorozawa tonight! Thanks to gutsy play, great clutch hitting, and one dramatic swing by Saburo the Marines took the first game of three with the Lions and put themselves closer to the top half of the …
Game Report: Fighters vs Lotte, 28 June
These guys above got the most at bats on Sunday, for sure. The weather wasn’t cooperative but the Lotte offense was, doing just enough take a rain shortened, 6-inning 3-2 victory over Nippon Ham. This was a fun game to watch, as I got to enjoy it from right behind home plate with Deanna from …
Game Report(s): Fighters vs Lotte, 6/26-27
Unfortunately I am more than a little late with reports from this weekend’s action. Baseball IS life, but sometimes other aspects of life get in the way. In the ‘seemingly-unfortunately-but-actually-worked-out-well’ category, I missed my first Lotte home game in over a month on Friday as the Nippon Ham came to town this weekend for the …
Interleague Game 24: Ending on a Good Note
After yesterday’s loss to the evil Kyojin I predicted a big Lotte win for today. Whaddya know, I got one right! Today, Lotte pounded out 9 runs on 11 hits – with 4 homers, too – as they won the last game of Interleague 2009 in the Tokyo Dome, 9-4. Around this time I would …
Interleague Game 23: Three Up, Three Down
Though the blog title typically means an inning where the batters are retired in order, today it also has a deeper, sadder meaning – after three consecutive wins last week, Lotte has now dropped three in a row including today’s 5-2 loss to the hated Giants. Lotte came out with guns blazing as leadoff batter …
Interleague Games 21 & 22: Jinxed in Jingu
Lotte came into the second series with Yakult on a very high note. Having won three in a row, including the 23-2 destruction of Hiroshima and a sweep of Hanshin, expectations were high that the strong play would continue. The first game was a complete debacle for the Marines as the pitching completely imploded, giving …