Series Recaps

Game 11 vs. Giants: Flat-Out Dominance

Game 11 vs. Giants: Flat-Out Dominance

As a fan, it is always a nervous proposition seeing a rookie pitcher starting against the orangemen. Whether they are injury- (or corona-) plagued or not, they still have a certain swagger against our men, which often turns them into little boys. On this night, though, the freshman kept his composure despite having a man…

Game 10 vs. Giants: Spraying Hits in the Rain

Game 10 vs. Giants: Spraying Hits in the Rain

Last season, the Tigers not only started the year 2-10, they also dropped their first three against the Yomiuri Giants. Two of them were not even close. Enter 2021, and the Giants not only have Sugano on the DL, but they have used Togo over the weekend and also got hit with a Covid cluster,…

Game 9 vs. Dragons: Gunkel, Chikamoto FTW!

Game 9 vs. Dragons: Gunkel, Chikamoto FTW!

After the first two games of this series went to the team that did not deserve them (in my opinion… Friday’s Dragons committed 4 errors and still pulled off a win, while Hanshin’s lone hit that left the infield was its last one on Saturday), this one actually played out quite calmly. Very little drama,…

Game 8 vs. Dragons: Eeked Out the W

Game 8 vs. Dragons: Eeked Out the W

Yesterday’s loss left a bad taste in the mouths of many a Hanshin fan, and the scoreless inning streak looked like it might even stretch all the way to Sunday. All game, only two Tigers made it to first base safely, both on infield hits, through 24 outs. Fortunately, as they say, baseball is a…

Game 7: Bullpen Implosion, Fujinami Winless

Game 7: Bullpen Implosion, Fujinami Winless

With just five outs to go, this one looked to be a beautiful home opener for the Tigers. Team up by 2, Fujinami went 6 IP 1 R, and the Dragons had committed 4 errors. I mean, you can’t win when you’re fielding that poorly, can you? Not against the almighty Hanshin bullpen, right? Wrong.

Game 4 @ Carp: Ace x Ace = Slim Pickings

Game 4 @ Carp: Ace x Ace = Slim Pickings

We saved our best pitcher, Yuki Nishi, for today because he pitches well against the Carp, especially in Hiroshima. He did not disappoint. Unfortunately, their pitcher (Masato Morishita) also pitches well against us, regardless of the ballpark. The result is a regrettable loss by the slimmest of margins.

Games 2 & 3: Sweeping the Basement Floor

Games 2 & 3: Sweeping the Basement Floor

After a rollercoaster of a ride on Opening Day, the Tigers settled down nicely to finish off the Yakult Swallows on the weekend. This contrasts nicely with last season’s opening weekend sweep at the hands of the Giants. The power on display at Meiji Jingu Stadium sure gave fans a lot to get excited about!…

Opening Day 2021: Imperfect Game, Perfect Record

Opening Day 2021: Imperfect Game, Perfect Record

The 2021 season started on time, and with excitement at an all-time high, the Hanshin Tigers took to Meiji Jingu Stadium to square off against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Unlike last year’s opener, our ace pitcher was neither spectacular, nor did he do much of anything at the plate. But it did not matter because…