Life as a Tigers fan had been pretty depressing for much of June. Surprisingly, one of the few teams we’ve had success against this season is the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Thanks to them (really, thanks to some untimely errors) we were able to put that 5-game losing streak behind us. SWEEP!
Game 66: Brought to You by the Numbers 54 & 55
Starting Pitchers: Randy Messenger vs. Edison Barrios
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Would you believe it took until the sixth inning until the Tigers got a man on base? (Yes, you would.) Still, it was not until the last third of the game that the scoring opened in this one. Kai Ueda led off with a single, which was followed by a Kosuke Fukudome single, and then with one out, this blast by Naomasa Yohkawa (who had his at bat prolonged thanks to a dropped foul fly):
DeNA 0-3 阪神 2018/6/26 横浜
７回表 陽川尚将 第２号３ランホームランで３点先制https://t.co/Hj9CF6kHzZ#hanshin #陽川尚将 #ホームラン pic.twitter.com/PvbworlGbI— とらほー速報＠執念 (@rWzmk) June 26, 2018
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And then in his next time at the plate, Yohkawa drove in another run with a gapper to left center. Randy’s night ended after this line: 8 IP, 123 TP, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 R. Was he happy about his mate’s run support? You decide:
陽川が3ラン打った時のメッセ！ pic.twitter.com/OlMNZSL1Hf
— タイガー⚾大地 (@tiger16saikou) June 26, 2018
Final Score: 4, 
0
WP: Messenger (9-4)
Game 67: Brought to You By Numbers Unseen All Year
Starting Pitchers: Shintaro Fujinami vs. Satoshi Iizuka
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Iizuka gifted us most of this inning… lots of walks and another big hit from Yohkawa, and the lead was ours early on. Throw in another couple of walks after that hit, and a third run makes its way across home.
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Fujinami was actually somewhat strong until this inning, in which five consecutive hits, including a three-run home run to Miyazaki, put our guys in a two-run hole.
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Not to worry, though! Captain Fukudome came to the rescue after a hit and then an error by their catcher. He might be 41 years old, but you’re still gonna fear his bat…
🐯留ちゃんカッチョいい〜❗
逆転弾をバックスクリーンの
電光掲示板を直撃❗👏🏻😅#阪神タイガース pic.twitter.com/4q0YhFJdba— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) June 27, 2018
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A couple of doubles (Ryutaro Umeno to the right-center gap, Hayata Itoh over the right fielder’s head) and we’ve got a two-run lead.
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We tip our hat to Mr. Yohkawa yet again, as his double off the top of the left-center wall (against the same guy he homered off on Tuesday) plated another run. Takashi Toritani grounded out to second but it was good enough to score another insurance run.
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Kentaro Kuwahara gave up three straight hits to start the inning, then settled in and kept the damage to one run. Still, the fact that they brought the tying run to the plate here had to have caused a few fans to feel a little nervous.
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Put your worries to rest, Hanshin fans. Double, RBI double, bunt, RBI double, out, walk, infield single, three-run double, and this Umeno bomb to left left the outcome a no-doubter.
🐯梅野がツーラン❗👏🏻😅#阪神タイガース #梅野隆太郎 pic.twitter.com/vpsi0KdCLX
— ⚾埼とら⚾今季も怪我無く！ (@yakyuragu) June 27, 2018
Final Score: SIXTEEN, 6
WP: Fujinami (2-2)
Game 68: To Err is Yokohuman
Starting Pitchers: Minoru Iwata vs. Shota Imanaga
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A liner got past Fukudome, and a grounder bounced off Hojoh’s glove, setting up a great scoring chance for the home boys. They pushed a run across the plate on a Tsutsugoh grounder.
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Yoshio Itoi smacked a double off the wall, and came home on a two-out Shunsuke single to center. Fumiya Hojoh came up and popped one to second. No, to right. No, to second. No, to the ground! Shunsuke was on his horse and just beat the throw home. Got the lead!
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Lost the lead! Kyuji Fujikawa served up a leadoff home run to Kuwahara, and the game was knotted at two. He struck out two of the next three guys, and the next inning, Atsushi Nohmi struck out the side, though he allowed a hit somewhere in there, too.
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Hojoh led off with a double, and then it was time for Noriharu Yamazaki‘s voodoo magic. (In case you forgot, it was his grounder that coaxed a walkoff error during interleague.) On a sacrifice bunt, BayStars closer Yamasaki threw a bit wildly to first, and the go-ahead (game-winning) run scored.