iwasada

Games 48-50 @ Lions – Beaten by a Better Cat

Games 48-50 @ Lions – Beaten by a Better Cat

Hanshin used its two best pitchers against the Hawks, to no avail. Now they were left with the back end of their rotation, against the powerful Saitama Seibu Lions hitting order. This had the making of an ugly weekend and a terrible start to interleague play. Game 48 – Another Great Start Wasted Starting Pitchers:…

Game 42 vs. Giants – Beat Sugano Again!

Game 42 vs. Giants – Beat Sugano Again!

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,…

Game 35 vs. BayStars – Still Offensively Challenged

Game 35 vs. BayStars – Still Offensively Challenged

Not much to say about this one. The Yokohama DeNA BayStars beat us soundly, putting up single runs in five of their nine innings. Our bats failed to do anything until the ninth inning, when the game was already out of hand. And a double play squelched it. Starting Pitchers: Yuta Iwasada (2-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Katsuki…

Game 23 @ Carp – Shunen at Last

Game 23 @ Carp – Shunen at Last

The Tigers’ 2018 slogan is 執念 (shunen = tenacity). But up to this point, the team has really failed to show resilience in most of its games. But the boys managed to grit out a W to finish the month of April on a positive note. And the hero was our new import slugger, who…

Game 19 vs. Giants – Farm Boys WINNING!

Game 19 vs. Giants – Farm Boys WINNING!

Today on the farm, Yuta Iwasada pitched seven shutout innings of five-hit ball, doing his part in keeping the game close on the road against the little Carp. In the ninth inning, Fumiya Hojoh hit a one-out double, and Yutaro Itayama brought him home on a triple. He eventually found his way home on a…

Preseason Ups and Downs

Preseason Ups and Downs

Hey everyone. Just thought you might want a concise look at all that has been going on as far as roster moves in the past week or so. The season starts in 10 days, and management is starting to solidify the roster for Opening Day. Who’s been brought up? Who’s been sent down? Which positions…

Preseason in Tokai (@ Eagles, @ Dragons x 2)

Preseason in Tokai (@ Eagles, @ Dragons x 2)

March 16: Stomping on the Eagles in Shizuoka This game started quite slowly, as the two aces showed off their repertoires before helpless bats. Our guys finally got to Takahiro Norimoto in the fifth, when Kento Itohara smacked a 2-run double to the left field corner. T 2-0 E Randy Messenger is just getting warmed…

Preseason vs. Giants: Even March Wins vs. Rabbits Feel Good!

Preseason vs. Giants: Even March Wins vs. Rabbits Feel Good!

Yesterday was somewhat solemn, in that both teams were playing in memory of their deceased ex-manager (and in the Dragons’ case, pitcher), Senichi Hoshino. Today was also a somber day for Japan: 7 years ago, a terrible disaster (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear meltdown) struck the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. But at least for Hanshin fans,…