The interleague bore 20th and 21st May

Tigers always seem to end up playing Orix very soon in their interleague campaign and this year is no exception. Orix are actually quite hot and so Tigers were in for a rude shock in the first game. Fujinami started and was dire giving up six runs in the two innings he was pitching. Afterwards Nakanishi said that he would have one more start to improve and if not he would probably go down to the second team. Translation - Nakanishi doesn't have a clue. His replacement didn't do much better and Tigers were hammered 12-2. Uemoto made his return and was much appreciated. The second game saw Tigers play much better and they took the lead twice before Tsuru blew things - he is another pitcher who is struggling. Buffaloes built up a 6-3 lead and things looked bad for Tigers but the elder Arai came to the rescue with a two run home run in the Tigers sixth which tied the game. Gomez blasted a solo home run in the ninth which was enough and Tigers ran out 7-6 winners. Pitching is still an issue for Tigers.

So what's the deal with Arai (Takahiro) this year? Has he been relegated to pinch hitter status because of his performance in recent years or does he still have lingering injuries that prevent him from playing the field as a starter? A little confused, as he was pegged as the DH in interleague home games, but then I believe he played 1st last night. Obviously the hot start of Gomez has something to do with it, but he can also play third. Just wasn't sure I had the full story on his condition or status.