It may be a mystery, but it is no hidden secret that the Hanshin Tigers struggle to score and win at Vantelin Dome Nagoya. After getting on the board in the top of the first and watching starter Masashi Itoh cruise through the first five innings of the game, it looked as though this would be a peaceful, stress-free win. After all, Teruaki Sato was back and nearly put the team up 3-0 in the fourth inning with a video-reviewed foul ball. But the Dragons tied things up in the bottom of the sixth. When Yusuke Ohyama came through in the clutch in the top of the eighth, putting our team up 2, it looked to be in the bag. Then Suguru Iwazaki continued his excellent second half. Only Robert Suarez left to close this one out! Three straight hits started the inning and it took an outstanding play from Takumu Nakano to get the first out. Anyhow, were it not for a 5-2-3 double play with the walk-off runner 90 feet from home, this would have been a bigger tragedy than it was. Either way, the win got away from us, and we remain in second place as we head to Tokyo Dome for a crucial weekend series with the Giants.
