Dragons cling to first place with victory over Tigers
The two-time defending Central League champion Chunichi Dragons aren’t exactly breathing fire, but they’re creating enough smoke to keep rival Yomiuri from soaking up the spotlight.
The Dragons put together 10 hits, led by Hirokazu Ibata’s two doubles and three RBIs, and got enough pitching to top the visiting Hanshin Tigers 9-4 on Wednesday and keep the Giants a game behind in the standings.
It was Ibata’s fifth game this season with at least three hits, but he said the defense helped him out.
“I guess they didn’t think I could hit it that far and they were cheating up in the outfield, so maybe they’ll play back on me now,” Ibata quipped in the hero interview.
“There’s still a very long way to go, so we just need to go out and do what we can each day,” Ibata said when asked about Chunichi being 14 games over .500.
The Dragons stayed two games ahead of the Giants.
Chunichi took advantage of a first-inning error to put up a four-spot en route to winning their 10th straight decision at Nagoya Dome.
Noamichi Donoue, getting a rare start, had two hits and an RBI.
Lefty starter Yudai Kawai (3-2) got the win, but couldn’t get out of the sixth. He allowed four runs on six hits and three walks before getting the hook.
GIANTS 3, CARP 2
Hayato Sakamoto hit a solo blast in the fourth and Hisayoshi Chono added a two-run shot in the fifth to back Dicky Gonzalez in his return from injury as Yomiuri edged Hiroshima at The Zoom.
Gonzalez (2-0) fired 5.1 innings, working around eight hits and two walks with five Ks, and three relievers combined to fan six to close it out.
The Carp’s Takahiro Iwamoto hit in his 15th straight game.
SWALLOWS 9, BAYSTARS 4
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama matched his career high with four hits [with three doubles for three RBIs], and Lastings Milledge also had three hits and two RBIs as visiting Yakult cruised past Yokohama in Okinawa.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
EAGLES 5, FIGHTERS 4
Teppei Tsuchiya homered, his first since May 11, 2011 [against the Fighters], and seventh-year pro Ginji Akaminai hit his first career homer, a solo shot in the fifth as Rakuten topped host Nippon Ham at Tokyo Dome to win its fourth straight.
Manabu Mima (5-2) fired 6.1 sharp innings, and Koji Aoyama closed the door in the ninth with a perfect inning to set the Eagles up for a series sweep.
Nippon Ham’s Kensuke Tanaka notched his 1,000th hit with an infield single in the first and a single to right in the sixth.
MARINES 2, LIONS 1
Yuki Karakawa (7-2), making his first start in three weeks after being deactivated with shoulder stiffness, handcuffed Seibu on five hits, and Shoitsu Omatsu homered for the only Lotte runs in a win at The Q.
Karakawa moved into a tie for the PL lead in wins as Lotte snapped a three-game skid.
HAWKS 4, BUFFALOES 1
Tadashi Settsu (7-3) also grabbed a share of the PL lead in wins, firing eight innings of one-run ball to beat Orix at FYJ Dome.
Nobuhiro Matsuda had three hits and an RBI, and Kenji Akashi had two RBIs, while Wily Mo Pena also drove in a run for the Hawks, who returned to .500.
Dragons cling to first place with victory over Tigers
The two-time defending Central League champion Chunichi Dragons aren’t exactly breathing fire, but they’re creating enough smoke to keep rival Yomiuri from soaking up the spotlight.
The Dragons put together 10 hits, led by Hirokazu Ibata’s two doubles and three RBIs, and got enough pitching to top the visiting Hanshin Tigers 9-4 on Wednesday and keep the Giants a game behind in the standings.
It was Ibata’s fifth game this season with at least three hits, but he said the defense helped him out.
“I guess they didn’t think I could hit it that far and they were cheating up in the outfield, so maybe they’ll play back on me now,” Ibata quipped in the hero interview.
“There’s still a very long way to go, so we just need to go out and do what we can each day,” Ibata said when asked about Chunichi being 14 games over .500.
The Dragons stayed two games ahead of the Giants.
Chunichi took advantage of a first-inning error to put up a four-spot en route to winning their 10th straight decision at Nagoya Dome.
Noamichi Donoue, getting a rare start, had two hits and an RBI.
Lefty starter Yudai Kawai (3-2) got the win, but couldn’t get out of the sixth. He allowed four runs on six hits and three walks before getting the hook.
GIANTS 3, CARP 2
Hayato Sakamoto hit a solo blast in the fourth and Hisayoshi Chono added a two-run shot in the fifth to back Dicky Gonzalez in his return from injury as Yomiuri edged Hiroshima at The Zoom.
Gonzalez (2-0) fired 5.1 innings, working around eight hits and two walks with five Ks, and three relievers combined to fan six to close it out.
The Carp’s Takahiro Iwamoto hit in his 15th straight game.
SWALLOWS 9, BAYSTARS 4
Kazuhiro Hatakeyama matched his career high with four hits [with three doubles for three RBIs], and Lastings Milledge also had three hits and two RBIs as visiting Yakult cruised past Yokohama in Okinawa.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
EAGLES 5, FIGHTERS 4
Teppei Tsuchiya homered, his first since May 11, 2011 [against the Fighters], and seventh-year pro Ginji Akaminai hit his first career homer, a solo shot in the fifth as Rakuten topped host Nippon Ham at Tokyo Dome to win its fourth straight.
Manabu Mima (5-2) fired 6.1 sharp innings, and Koji Aoyama closed the door in the ninth with a perfect inning to set the Eagles up for a series sweep.
Nippon Ham’s Kensuke Tanaka notched his 1,000th hit with an infield single in the first and a single to right in the sixth.
MARINES 2, LIONS 1
Yuki Karakawa (7-2), making his first start in three weeks after being deactivated with shoulder stiffness, handcuffed Seibu on five hits, and Shoitsu Omatsu homered for the only Lotte runs in a win at The Q.
Karakawa moved into a tie for the PL lead in wins as Lotte snapped a three-game skid.
HAWKS 4, BUFFALOES 1
Tadashi Settsu (7-3) also grabbed a share of the PL lead in wins, firing eight innings of one-run ball to beat Orix at FYJ Dome.
Nobuhiro Matsuda had three hits and an RBI, and Kenji Akashi had two RBIs, while Wily Mo Pena also drove in a run for the Hawks, who returned to .500.