It had been four years since the Tigers swept a 3-game series against the Yomiuri Giants at Koshien Stadium. Bringing in a 19-year old rookie against a pitcher who was undefeated against the Tigers this season did not seem like a recipe for ending that streak. Then again, you can’t predict baseball. Starting Pitchers: Hiroto Saiki (0-1, 7.50…
I have to admit, it’s a special atmosphere at these games against the Yomiuri Giants. But in the seven that I have seen at Koshien, the home team has won just one (against five losses and a tie). And this one twice looked like it would end in a loss or tie. But it didn’t. Starting…
You can never like the Hanshin Tigers’ odds against Yomiuri Giants ace Sugano. Until his last start, he had a 29 2/3 scoreless innings streak, and he’s looking every bit the Sawamura Award winner he was last season, and not at all like the guy who gave us our first win back on March 30. But then,…
Through seven innings, the two hurlers combined to throw approximately the same number that Fujinami threw in that unforgettable (for all the wrong reasons) game in July 2016. Yes, they both brought their A games. In fact, the Yakult Swallows never got past first base until the eighth inning. That’s how good Akkyaman was again tonight….
Host T-Ray is joined by co-host Jake to talk about the past two weeks of pathetic action. They then transition to talk about the designated hitter, and whom the Tigers might choose to use during games in Pacific League parks. Finally, they are joined by Christian of Graveyard Baseball to talk about the first…
You want Randy Messenger to play in his first ever NPB All-Star Game, right? Last year we were well represented, with Marcos Mateo, Ryutaro Umeno, Takashi Toritani and Yoshio Itoi being voted in. Takumi Akiyama also got selected by the CL Manager. Here are the results of the voting so far, as of June 11:…
When you’re playing on a field with smaller dimensions, against a team that’s not know for its pitching (the Yakult Swallows), you have to take advantage. And that’s exactly what the Tigers did. A couple of bombs and their first 10+ hit game in two weeks, and you’ve no longer got a losing streak on your…
The Tigers continue to struggle through the past 10 days, failing to score more than 3 runs in any game since May 7. The Chunichi Dragons sent out Dice-K and he looked every bit like the beast he was back in his Seibu Lions days. But was he that good? Or were we that bad? Recent games…
There’s something about playing at Nagoya Dome that causes these Hanshin Tigers to struggle, especially offensively. Sure, we could give some credit to the Chunichi Dragons, but there also might be something to the hex that has been placed on this team for the past 23 years since the Dome opened. Ignore the perfect 3-0 record…
When wins are not coming easy, you don’t take any of your opponents for granted. Even if they are the Chunichi Dragons. Even if they’re putting a developing pitcher on the mound. And especially when your own starter is unproven. But the team pushed runs across when they needed them, and the pitching was rock-solid in…