Ishikawa becomes latest to blank 'Stars as Swallows win
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars officially got new ownership in the offseason, but these days, everyone who pitches against them seems to own them.
Masanori Ishikawa became the latest to shut the BayStars down, twirling a five-hitter for his first shutout since Sept. 28, 2010 [at Yokohama Stadium], and Wladimir Balentien homered three times and drove in four to lead a 15-hit attack as the Yakult Swallows cruised past host Yokohama 7-0 on Tuesday night.
It was the third straight shutout loss for the Central League’s cellar dwellers, who have been blanked nine times this season and have dropped six straight. The BayStars last scored in the eighth inning on Saturday.
Yakult’s Shinya Miyamoto, who made his first error in 257 chances at third [a streak that started last June 19 in a game vs. Lotte at Jingu Stadium], had three hits to move within one of the 2,000 mark.
Ishikawa (2-3) fanned five, walked one and hit one for his 10th career shutout. It was his first win since nearly no-hitting Yomiuri on Opening Day.
“I hadn't won in a month, so this is a great feeling,” said Ishikawa, who threw a career-high 145 pitches and pitched around a hit and a walk in the ninth. “As a starter, you want to be able to finish the game, so to be able to go the distance was good.”
Balentien’s other three-homer came was at Yokohama last year on May 13.
DRAGONS 1, TIGERS 0
Pinch-runner Hidenori Kuramoto raced home on pinch-hitter Takehiro Donoue’s fielder’s choice comeback to loser Yasutomo Kubo (2-2), beating the relay throw to first to avoid a double play as host Chunichi blanked Hanshin.
It was the third 1-0 victory this season [second in as many days] for the Dragons, who got seven scoreless frames from Daisuke Yamai to keep the Tigers scoreless over their last 31 innings.
Chunichi ace Kazuki Yoshimi was deactivated after hurting his right leg.
GIANTS 5, CARP 0
Ryosuke Miyaguni (2-0) fired a three-hitter, with seven Ks, no walks and a hit batter in his first complete game, and Shuichi Murata put together his first three-hit game to lead Yomiuri past Hiroshima at Tokyo Dome.
Miyaguni, a second-year 20-year-old righty who also picked up his first hit [and first RBI to go with it], needed only 104 pitches to shut out the Hiroshima lineup.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
HAWKS 5, FIGHTERS 3
Wily Mo Pena drove in the first run a three-run rally in the ninth off Nippon Ham closer Hisashi Takeda with a double, and Nobuhiro Matsuda put SoftBank on top with his rocket off the wall in right in a comeback win at Sapporo Dome.
Brian Falkenborg worked around a hit and a walk in the bottom of the frame for his 10th save.
BUFFALOES 2, MARINES 1
Aarom Baldiris became the ninth player in NBP history to hit walk-off homers on back-to-back nights, blasting a two-run shot off Yasuhiko Yabuta (0-2) as Orix edged Lotte at Kyocera Dome.
It was his fourth homer in as many games and spoiled another great start by Lotte’s Seth Greisinger, who went seven scoreless to lower his PL-best ERA to 0.31.
EAGLES 4, LIONS 3
Takeya Nakamura got picked off first in the ninth by reliever Jim Heuser to end Seibu’s comeback attempt and give Rakuten a victory at Seibu Dome.
Fourth-year lefty Wataru Karashima (1-0) threw seven innings of one-run ball for his first pro win.
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Ishikawa becomes latest to blank 'Stars as Swallows win
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars officially got new ownership in the offseason, but these days, everyone who pitches against them seems to own them.
Masanori Ishikawa became the latest to shut the BayStars down, twirling a five-hitter for his first shutout since Sept. 28, 2010 [at Yokohama Stadium], and Wladimir Balentien homered three times and drove in four to lead a 15-hit attack as the Yakult Swallows cruised past host Yokohama 7-0 on Tuesday night.
It was the third straight shutout loss for the Central League’s cellar dwellers, who have been blanked nine times this season and have dropped six straight. The BayStars last scored in the eighth inning on Saturday.
Yakult’s Shinya Miyamoto, who made his first error in 257 chances at third [a streak that started last June 19 in a game vs. Lotte at Jingu Stadium], had three hits to move within one of the 2,000 mark.
Ishikawa (2-3) fanned five, walked one and hit one for his 10th career shutout. It was his first win since nearly no-hitting Yomiuri on Opening Day.
“I hadn't won in a month, so this is a great feeling,” said Ishikawa, who threw a career-high 145 pitches and pitched around a hit and a walk in the ninth. “As a starter, you want to be able to finish the game, so to be able to go the distance was good.”
Balentien’s other three-homer came was at Yokohama last year on May 13.
DRAGONS 1, TIGERS 0
Pinch-runner Hidenori Kuramoto raced home on pinch-hitter Takehiro Donoue’s fielder’s choice comeback to loser Yasutomo Kubo (2-2), beating the relay throw to first to avoid a double play as host Chunichi blanked Hanshin.
It was the third 1-0 victory this season [second in as many days] for the Dragons, who got seven scoreless frames from Daisuke Yamai to keep the Tigers scoreless over their last 31 innings.
Chunichi ace Kazuki Yoshimi was deactivated after hurting his right leg.
GIANTS 5, CARP 0
Ryosuke Miyaguni (2-0) fired a three-hitter, with seven Ks, no walks and a hit batter in his first complete game, and Shuichi Murata put together his first three-hit game to lead Yomiuri past Hiroshima at Tokyo Dome.
Miyaguni, a second-year 20-year-old righty who also picked up his first hit [and first RBI to go with it], needed only 104 pitches to shut out the Hiroshima lineup.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
HAWKS 5, FIGHTERS 3
Wily Mo Pena drove in the first run a three-run rally in the ninth off Nippon Ham closer Hisashi Takeda with a double, and Nobuhiro Matsuda put SoftBank on top with his rocket off the wall in right in a comeback win at Sapporo Dome.
Brian Falkenborg worked around a hit and a walk in the bottom of the frame for his 10th save.
BUFFALOES 2, MARINES 1
Aarom Baldiris became the ninth player in NBP history to hit walk-off homers on back-to-back nights, blasting a two-run shot off Yasuhiko Yabuta (0-2) as Orix edged Lotte at Kyocera Dome.
It was his fourth homer in as many games and spoiled another great start by Lotte’s Seth Greisinger, who went seven scoreless to lower his PL-best ERA to 0.31.
EAGLES 4, LIONS 3
Takeya Nakamura got picked off first in the ninth by reliever Jim Heuser to end Seibu’s comeback attempt and give Rakuten a victory at Seibu Dome.
Fourth-year lefty Wataru Karashima (1-0) threw seven innings of one-run ball for his first pro win.