Chiba Marine Stadium was awash with downpours tonight as Rakuten rolled into Makuhari for the first of a 3-game weekend set with Lotte. Tonight’s starting pitchers have had as dramatically different fortunes this year as their respective teams. Lotte starter Shimizu Naoyuki comes in with an 0-2 record and a 6.26 ERA, while young Rakuten …
Tag: Tadahito Iguchi
Game Report: Fighters vs Lotte, 5/4
It’s the top of the third of Monday’s holiday day game between the visiting Fighters and the Marines. I’m going to try a little live blogging of this one to give my impressions of the game as it unfolds. Lotte is trying for its first win against the Fighters this year – the Fighters took …
Game Report: Lotte vs Softbank, 5/2
After a disappointing 6-2 loss to Softbank in the opener of the weekend series on Friday, Lotte needed a win to get closer to coming out of the Pa-league cellar. Pitching tonight was Karakawa Yuki, who has had a strong start to the season with an ERA of 2.57 in 3 starts. Yahoo Dome is …
Game Report: Orix vs Lotte, 4/30
After Tuesday’s extra-inning heartbreaker and yesterday’s tantalizing-comeback-that-fell-short Lotte entered tonight’s game needing a strong performance to avoid their second straight series sweep at the hands of Orix. Would Marines ace Shimizu Naoyuki (0-2 with a 9.20 ERA in ’09) be able to shut down the power-hitting Buffalo bats? Would the erratic Lotte offense be able …
Game Report: Orix vs Lotte, 4/29
Quick on the heels of last night’s gloomy disappointment was today’s afternoon game, the second with Orix. The pitching matchup featured Watanabe Shunsuke (who was 0-2 on the season to date despite a 2.40 ERA) and Kanako Chihiro (1-2 with a 5.30 ERA). Watanabe has always pitched well at Chiba Marine, so optimism was running …
Game Report(s): Lotte vs Rakuten, 4/21-23
Due to life infringing upon my baseball-watching time I’ve been unable to blog anything from the first two games of this series. Actually, there was nothing to blog from Game 1, as it was rained out due to monsoon-like conditions at the lovely K-Stadium Miyagi. As an aside, I am quite looking forward to visiting …
Game Report: Softbank vs Lotte, 4/18
On Saturday, John and I drifted down to Chiba Marine Stadium for the first of 2 weekend clashes vs visiting Softbank. Going into this game we were one game ahead of the Hawks — coming out of it, we were tied. The problem, same as all season, was the pitching. On the mound was the …
Game Report: Rakuten vs Lotte, 4/16
WOW! Talk about your dramatic comebacks, and stunning victories!!! In a game featuring several lead changes and ties, and 18 combined runs, Lotte comes back from down 7-4 in the 7th inning to tie, and ends it on a spectacular sayonara grand slam from Iguchi-senshu! Lotte isn’t known as a power team, but this game …
Game Report: Rakuten vs Lotte, 4/15
Just what the doctor ordered! I was in the outfield bleachers tonight with Patrick and his family for Lotte’s inspiring 7-1 victory over Pa-league leading Rakuten. All facets of the team were in sync tonight as gutsy pitching, clutch hitting, and solid defense brought and end to the 6-game losing streak. Karakawa pitched a great …
Series report – Lotte vs Orix, Kyocera Dome
I haven’t yet blogged anything about this series as I was hoping to wait for an optimistic moment following the disappointment in Tokyo last week. I figured the next post should be on a positive note. Oh well. The two game losing streak became a 5 game losing streak, and the 2-1 record is now …