Hawks batter lifeless Carp
The SoftBank Hawks are giving every team in Japan a hard time.
Hiroki Kokubo went 4-for-4 on Monday with a homer and three RBIs and Nobuhiro Matsuda homered and drove in five as SoftBank pounded the reeling Hiroshima Carp 17-2 to send the hosts to their interleague-record 10th straight loss.
Hiroki Yamada (6-1) cruised through seven innings, allowing just three hits and a walk with three Ks.
The Hawks, who pounded out a season-high 18 hits, scored runs in each of the first six innings, jumping on rookie Yuya Fukui (2-2) for five runs in three frames.
SoftBank is atop the interleague standings at 13-1-2 and is 19 games over .500 overall.
FIGHTERS 2, GIANTS 0
Brian Wolfe (6-1) worked six scoreless innings, scattering five hits and three walks as Nippon Ham surpassed Chunichi’s 2006 mark by posting its 10th shutout in interleague play in a victory over host Yomiuri.
The Fighters moved a season-high 13 games over .500, while the 19-21 Giants have failed to score for 19 consecutive innings.
DRAGONS 4, MARINES 1
Maximo Nelson (4-3) scattered five hits and a walk over seven innings, and Takahiro Saeki put Chunichi in front with a sixth-inning RBI single and drove in another run with an eighth-inning triple -- his first since April 14 -- 2007, in a victory over visiting Lotte.
Nelson fanned a season-high-tying eight as Chunichi won its sixth straight regular season game over Lotte in a 2010 Japan Series rematch.
BUFFALOES 6, TIGERS 1
Hayato Terahara (5-4) tossed a six-hitter for his fourth complete game of the season -- the 11th of career -- as Orix completed a sweep of Hanshin with its club-record third straight win at Koshien Stadium.
Takahiro “T.O.” Okada knocked in two for the Buffaloes, who have won a season-high six straight.
SWALLOWS 5, EAGLES 4
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama homered twice -- including a solo shot in the eighth that proved to be the difference -- and drove in three, and Shohei Tateyama (5-1) held Rakuten to one run on six hits over eight innings as Yakult held off the Eagles at Jingu Stadium.
BUFFALOES 3, LIONS 1
Rookie Kota Suda (1-3) held Seibu to one run on four hits and four walks over six innings with six Ks to earn his first pro victory as Yokohama topped the Lions for its third win in four games.
Hawks batter lifeless Carp
The SoftBank Hawks are giving every team in Japan a hard time.
Hiroki Kokubo went 4-for-4 on Monday with a homer and three RBIs and Nobuhiro Matsuda homered and drove in five as SoftBank pounded the reeling Hiroshima Carp 17-2 to send the hosts to their interleague-record 10th straight loss.
Hiroki Yamada (6-1) cruised through seven innings, allowing just three hits and a walk with three Ks.
The Hawks, who pounded out a season-high 18 hits, scored runs in each of the first six innings, jumping on rookie Yuya Fukui (2-2) for five runs in three frames.
SoftBank is atop the interleague standings at 13-1-2 and is 19 games over .500 overall.
FIGHTERS 2, GIANTS 0
Brian Wolfe (6-1) worked six scoreless innings, scattering five hits and three walks as Nippon Ham surpassed Chunichi’s 2006 mark by posting its 10th shutout in interleague play in a victory over host Yomiuri.
The Fighters moved a season-high 13 games over .500, while the 19-21 Giants have failed to score for 19 consecutive innings.
DRAGONS 4, MARINES 1
Maximo Nelson (4-3) scattered five hits and a walk over seven innings, and Takahiro Saeki put Chunichi in front with a sixth-inning RBI single and drove in another run with an eighth-inning triple -- his first since April 14 -- 2007, in a victory over visiting Lotte.
Nelson fanned a season-high-tying eight as Chunichi won its sixth straight regular season game over Lotte in a 2010 Japan Series rematch.
BUFFALOES 6, TIGERS 1
Hayato Terahara (5-4) tossed a six-hitter for his fourth complete game of the season -- the 11th of career -- as Orix completed a sweep of Hanshin with its club-record third straight win at Koshien Stadium.
Takahiro “T.O.” Okada knocked in two for the Buffaloes, who have won a season-high six straight.
SWALLOWS 5, EAGLES 4
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama homered twice -- including a solo shot in the eighth that proved to be the difference -- and drove in three, and Shohei Tateyama (5-1) held Rakuten to one run on six hits over eight innings as Yakult held off the Eagles at Jingu Stadium.
BUFFALOES 3, LIONS 1
Rookie Kota Suda (1-3) held Seibu to one run on four hits and four walks over six innings with six Ks to earn his first pro victory as Yokohama topped the Lions for its third win in four games.