With tonight’s 4-1 Giants victory over the Hiroshima Carp, the red-and-white fall into third place, a half-game behind our Hanshin Tigers. The result is that Koshien Stadium will host two, possibly three baseball games this long weekend. Game 1 is Saturday at 6pm, and will likely see Messenger facing off against Kenta Maeda. Game 2…
The original article can be found here 元の記事はこちらです The Rotation is Set! Tigers Open with Tough Righty Messenger Open with “Messeh”! Reports on October 5th indicate that the Tigers will start Randy Messenger (33) on October 11 in the first game of their Climax Series matchup with Hiroshima. Typhoon 18 has delayed the final game of…
Last week I broke down the final few days remaining on the schedule, as well as the importance of finishing first (or at least second). The Tigers’ regular season is now over, and it ended on a positive note, as they defeated the second-place Hiroshima Carp, 4-2. Since I didn’t see the game, I will…
With the Hiroshima Carp’s loss to the Swallows tonight, the Central League Standings look like this: That’s right, the Tigers are tied for second place! Keep in mind the importance of second over third: that team gets to host the entire best-of-three “1st Stage” playoff series. With that in mind, here is the schedule for…
Last night the Yomiuri Giants won the Central League title for the third consecutive year and thirty-sixth time overall. Unlike major league baseball, where the division championship means a slight home-field advantage, the NPB playoff rules tilt things heavily in the league champion’s favour. Here’s a look at the NPB playoff format. Sorry the graphic…
Disco’s dead but the man born in the disco era is showing signs of life. Disco went out in a blaze of glory on July 12, 1979, as fans (and haters of the genre) gathered at Comiskey Park in Chicago to burn up records, clothes and more. Kosuke Fukudome was born April 26, 1977, right in the…
Not another September meltdown. Not a repeat of last year. That’s all fans, players and management alike have talked about since the middle of this season, as the Tigers started to contend for first place. A six-game losing streak earlier this month gave everyone nightmares and it felt like the Tigers were simply going through…
The original article can be found here 元の記事はこちらです Hanshin’s Ryota Arai had an outdoor batting practice session at Naruohama (where the farm team plays) on the 22nd, his first since injuring his lower back. “I hope to keep making progress, little by little. I’m not just thinking about the Climax Series, I want to get back…
They needed just one more run. In the last 5 1/3 innings they put nine guys on base, and only one needed to cross home plate. None did. The Tigers were aiming for their first three-game series sweep since their 8-game winning streak at the start of July, but fell short. Down 3-2 in the sixth, Yamato rapped…
They wanted a sweep. They needed a sweep. They didn’t get it. The basement-dwelling Yakult Swallows pulled off a come-from-behind win in the second game, 5-3. Starter Minoru Iwata looked to have this one under control, but with a one-run lead in the sixth, he gave up a hit to leadoff hitter Kawabata, then served…