Tanaka wins battle of star pitchers
A pair of pitchers who battle teammates for the right to be called ace, dealt their opponents empty hands for most of Saturday’s game at FYJ Dome.
In the end, Masahiro Tanaka had the upper hand.
Tanaka (12-4) fanned 10 and scattered six hits and two walks over the distance, finishing off the Pacific League-leading SoftBank Hawks with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a 2-1 win.
The fifth-year hurler, the wingman for ace Hisashi Iwakuma, notched his seventh complete game of the season and the 24th in his career, both highest in club history. He is three shy of 2009 career best win total, and leads Japan in ERA at 1.48.
Neither hurler allowed a hit until Nobuhiko Matsunaka singled up the middle off Tanaka to open the fifth. The Hawks got another hit, but couldn’t take advantage with two runners on. The Eagles broke up Sugichi’s no-hit bid in the seventh as Kazuo Matsui singled to left.
Asahisa Makida broke the scoreless string in the eighth. He doubled over the head Matsunaka in left with two outs to score a pinch-runner for Luis Garcia, who had singled. Ryo Hijirisawa followed with a single to score Makida and pad the lead.
Sugiuchi (7-4), who alongside Tsuyoshi Wada are duel aces, finished with nine Ks, allowing four hits and walking one.
FIGHTERS 4, BUFFALOES 0
Rookie Yuki Saito (4-2) tossed five scoreless [but runner-filled] innings and Yoshio Itoi had three hits and an RBI as Nippon Ham blanked Orix at Sapporo Dome.
Shinya Tsuruoka’s two-run single in the eighth sealed the win as Nippon Ham moved to within three games of the league’s top sport. Saito allowed seven hits a walk and hit a batter.
LIONS 3, MARINES 2
Yutaro Osaki put Seibu ahead in the fourth with an RBI single and Takayuki Kishi (4-5) scattered three hits and three walks over eight innings as the Lions edged Lotte at The Q.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 7, SWALLOWS 2
Shun Tono (5-8) fired his first complete game of the season, blanking front-running Yakult on five hits and bringing second-place Yomiuri to within four games of the top spot.
Michihiro Ogasawara and Shinnosuke Abe each had two-run singles in the first inning to stake the righty to a four-run lead in Tatsunori Hara’s career 600th managerial win.
DRAGONS 1, CARP 0
Junki Ito and three relievers scattered six hits, and Naomichi Donoue’s clutch seventh-inning doubled scored the only run and offensively challenged Chunichi won its fourth straight.
The Dragons have scored six runs during the streak.
TIGERS 5, BAYSTARS 2
Matt Murton homered and singled, and Takashi Toritani doubled and drove in two as Hanshin topped visiting Yokohama.
Craig Brazell hit his 100th homer in Japan for the Tigers, a solo shot leading off the eighth.
Tanaka wins battle of star pitchers
A pair of pitchers who battle teammates for the right to be called ace, dealt their opponents empty hands for most of Saturday’s game at FYJ Dome.
In the end, Masahiro Tanaka had the upper hand.
Tanaka (12-4) fanned 10 and scattered six hits and two walks over the distance, finishing off the Pacific League-leading SoftBank Hawks with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a 2-1 win.
The fifth-year hurler, the wingman for ace Hisashi Iwakuma, notched his seventh complete game of the season and the 24th in his career, both highest in club history. He is three shy of 2009 career best win total, and leads Japan in ERA at 1.48.
Neither hurler allowed a hit until Nobuhiko Matsunaka singled up the middle off Tanaka to open the fifth. The Hawks got another hit, but couldn’t take advantage with two runners on. The Eagles broke up Sugichi’s no-hit bid in the seventh as Kazuo Matsui singled to left.
Asahisa Makida broke the scoreless string in the eighth. He doubled over the head Matsunaka in left with two outs to score a pinch-runner for Luis Garcia, who had singled. Ryo Hijirisawa followed with a single to score Makida and pad the lead.
Sugiuchi (7-4), who alongside Tsuyoshi Wada are duel aces, finished with nine Ks, allowing four hits and walking one.
FIGHTERS 4, BUFFALOES 0
Rookie Yuki Saito (4-2) tossed five scoreless [but runner-filled] innings and Yoshio Itoi had three hits and an RBI as Nippon Ham blanked Orix at Sapporo Dome.
Shinya Tsuruoka’s two-run single in the eighth sealed the win as Nippon Ham moved to within three games of the league’s top sport. Saito allowed seven hits a walk and hit a batter.
LIONS 3, MARINES 2
Yutaro Osaki put Seibu ahead in the fourth with an RBI single and Takayuki Kishi (4-5) scattered three hits and three walks over eight innings as the Lions edged Lotte at The Q.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 7, SWALLOWS 2
Shun Tono (5-8) fired his first complete game of the season, blanking front-running Yakult on five hits and bringing second-place Yomiuri to within four games of the top spot.
Michihiro Ogasawara and Shinnosuke Abe each had two-run singles in the first inning to stake the righty to a four-run lead in Tatsunori Hara’s career 600th managerial win.
DRAGONS 1, CARP 0
Junki Ito and three relievers scattered six hits, and Naomichi Donoue’s clutch seventh-inning doubled scored the only run and offensively challenged Chunichi won its fourth straight.
The Dragons have scored six runs during the streak.
TIGERS 5, BAYSTARS 2
Matt Murton homered and singled, and Takashi Toritani doubled and drove in two as Hanshin topped visiting Yokohama.
Craig Brazell hit his 100th homer in Japan for the Tigers, a solo shot leading off the eighth.