The Tokyo Yakult Swallows had an incredible interleague mini-season. In fact, they became just the second Central League team to finish with a better record than all PL teams. They looked to parlay that momentum into a spot near the top of the CL standings, but if the Tigers have their way, it will be them who make a move up. In fact, were it not for a brutal call from the third base umpire on Friday, this one might have been a second straight sweep for the Tigers.
Game 69 – NPB Umps Continue to Baffle Kansai Teams
Starting Pitchers: Takumi Akiyama vs. Hiroki Yamada
There were simply too many runs in this game, and in the whole series, to repeat back to you one by one. Suffice it to say that they took an early lead, which was wiped out by this Shunsuke home run…
🐯ヨッシャ〜❗
俊介が逆転ツーランです！👏🏻😆#阪神タイガース #藤川俊介 pic.twitter.com/IdBq9q64rO
— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) June 29, 2018
Then extended by this Naomasa Yohkawa home run…
🐯ヨッシャ〜❗
陽川🦍がスリーラン❗👏🏻😆#阪神タイガース #陽川尚将 pic.twitter.com/65YSfd3s8n
— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) June 29, 2018
And after they got one back, Fumihito Haraguchi hit his first of the season, too.
🐯ヨッシャ〜❗
原口がスタンドに
放り込みましたよ〜👏🏻😆#阪神タイガース #原口文仁 pic.twitter.com/8vVZjmeswN— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) June 29, 2018
Unfortunately, the Swallows fought back hard, even taking a lead after the fifth inning. Our guys got the lead back in the top of the sixth, and they evened it out in the bottom half. Then, with the score tied in the bottom of the seventh, one out and a runner on second, this:
🐯これは納得は出来ん❗😡
審判も何を言ってるか分からん#阪神タイガース pic.twitter.com/mDR9BBDxya
— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) June 29, 2018
The ump said Fumiya Hojoh did not show intention of tagging the runner, so he was called safe. HUH? Look again. You saw the attempt at tagging, right? How did they miss that??? It’s the most confusing play since last weekend, when the umps reversed a foul ball call against the Buffaloes, awarding the Hawks a home run instead and resulting in Orix losing the game. (The ball was in fact foul.) So as a result of that not being an out for Hanshin, the Swallows put two runs up in the inning (when they likely would have gotten none had that been called an out.
Anyhow, Efren Navarro hit an RBI single in his first career NPB at bat, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Yohkawa hit one deep to the warning track, ending the game just a little shy of another comeback. The umps’ ridiculous call made the difference in this one.
Final Score: 
9, 
10
LP: K. Itoh (0-1)
Game 70 – Taking Out Yesterday’s Frustrations
Starting Pitchers: Yuta Iwasada vs. David Huff
Let’s put it this way. Iwasada faced almost as many pitches as a hitter as he threw as a pitcher. The Tigers strung together six runs in the first (three of which came on a bases-clearing triple by Hojoh) and Iwasada got his turn at the plate. Then in the bottom half of the inning, his seventh pitch hit Nori Aoki flush in the helmet, resulting in his ejection.
Hiroto Saiki to the rescue! The 19-year old sophomore threw six innings, allowing just one inherited runner to score, and the Tigers showed their appreciation to him by tacking on three more runs in the second (including Takahiro Kumagai‘s first career RBI) and four more in the fifth (Kosuke Fukudome got his third RBI hit of the game, this one a two-run RBI double).
After freshly recalled Marcos Mateo gave up a two-run home run to Tetsuto Yamada (the 150th of his career), the Tigers pushed a couple more over the plate just for fun in the top of the ninth. Just for kicks, Kazuo Itoh, who pitched rather poorly on Friday, too, gave up a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. Still, it was a blowout.
Final Score: 15, 7
WP: Saiki (2-2)
Game 71 – Pouncing Early Again, Hanging On for Win
Starting Pitchers: Taiki Ono vs. Naruki Terashima
This is not just a re-pasting of the earlier video clip. Yes, Shunsuke has hit two home runs in the same series. Seeing is believing.
🐯ヨッシャ〜❗
俊介が先制弾をスタンドに
放り込みましたよ！👏🏻😆#阪神タイガース #藤川俊介 pic.twitter.com/4iBm7u4ioh— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) July 1, 2018
That was followed by a two-RBI hit by Kento Itohara, a bases loaded walk from Navarro, and a two-RBI hit by Yohkawa. The six-run innings are fun to watch, and we got two of them this weekend!
But the Swallows chipped away at the lead. A run in the bottom of the second, then two in the bottom of the third meant that this one was within reach the whole rest of the way.
Rafael Dolis came into the ninth with that same three-run lead, but gave up a few hits and a sacrifice fly that pushed the Tigers to the brink, but in the end, the good guys won.