Nippon Series Preview: Tigers vs. Hawks

Scheduled Games & Possible Starters:

GAME 1: Saturday, October 25, 6:15 pm (Koshien Stadium):

Randy Messenger (13-10) vs. Jason Standridge (11-8)

GAME 2: Sunday, October 26, 6:15 pm (Koshien Stadium):

Minoru Iwata (9-8) vs. Kenji Ohtonari (3-1)

GAME 3: Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 pm (YafuOku Dome):

Shintaro Fujinami (10-7) vs. Shota Takeda (3-3)

GAME 4: Wednesday, October 29, 6:30 pm (YafuOku Dome):

Atsushi Nohmi (9-13) vs. Tadashi Settsu (10-8)

GAME 5*: Thursday, October 30, 6:30 pm:

Randy Messenger (13-10) vs. Kenichi Nakata (11-7)

GAME 6*: Saturday, November 1, 6:15 pm (Koshien Stadium):

Minoru Iwata (9-8) vs. Jason Standridge (11-8)

GAME 7*: Sunday, November 2, 6:15 pm:

Shintaro Fujinami (10-7) vs. Kenji Ohtonari (3-1)

Record This Season:

@ Koshien Stadium: Tigers 1, Hawks 1

@ YafuOku Dome: Tigers 1, Hawks 1

Total: Tigers 2, Hawks 2

Typical Postseason Lineups:

Hanshin Tigers

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Top Players:

AVG: Tigers: Matt Murton (.338); Hawks: Yuki Yanagita (.317)

HR: Tigers: Mauro Gomez (26); Hawks: Dae-ho Lee (19)

SB: Tigers: Hiroki Uemoto (20); Hawks: Yuki Yanagita (33)

Wins: Tigers: Randy Messenger (13); Hawks: Jason Standridge, Kenichi Nakata (11)

Holds: Tigers: Shinobu Fukuhara (38); Hawks: Ryota Igarashi (44)

Saves: Tigers: Seung-hwan Oh (39); Hawks: Dennis Sarfate (37)

What to Watch for:

• The Tigers have gone 5-0-1 this postseason, and seem to be getting stronger with each game. After a power outage in the first two games against the Carp, the team compiled 21 runs in 4 games against the Giants.
• The Hawks, meanwhile, have gone 3-3 in the postseason, advancing thanks to the one-game advantage they held over the Fighters because they clinched the regular season title. They won games 1, 4 and 6, and have not won back-to-back games since September 5-6 (unless you count the last regular season game and the first playoff game, which were 13 days apart).
• Projected Game 1 starter Messenger is 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA against the Hawks this season. He lost on the road on May 23, giving up 3 ER in 6 IP, and then surrendered 5 ER in 5 IP at home on June 9. It wouldn’t have mattered, as his counterpart, former Tiger Jason Standridge, pitched a 3-hit complete game shutout that day.
• Speaking of Standridge, he and close buddy Matt Murton face each other in the playoffs for the first time ever. It should be an exciting matchup. Watch for it in Game 1 and possibly later in the series as well!
• Tigers closer Seung-hwan Oh may have to face fellow countryman Dae-Ho Lee in crucial situations as well. The Korean slugger has gone 8-for-25 in his career against Oh, including 1-for-1 this season.
• The Tigers finished September/October with a 14-13 record, while the Hawks stumbled to a 9-14-1 record, including a 6-14 finish in their last twenty games.
• Games 1-2, 6-7, which will be played at Koshien Stadium, will employ Central League rules, i.e. no designated hitter. This will not be a problem for the Tigers, as they have lived without a DH for much of the season. The Hawks, on the other hand, will send completely inexperienced pitchers to the plate for four games. They also will need to use strategy about when to pull their pitcher as they consider his turn at the plate.
• Games 3-5 will be played at YafuOku Dome, and will allow both teams to use a designated hitter. The Tigers have plenty of hitters who can fill the role, though they are not accustomed to spending most of the game on the bench, waiting passively for their turn at the plate. Possible DH’s include Ryota Arai, Takahiro Arai, and possibly Ryota Imanari, if he is deemed healthy enough to play. They could also use Nishioka as the DH and put one of the Arai brothers (or Imanari) at third base.

My prediction: Tigers in 6