Carp rally in 8th, nip Tigers to get back to .500
The Hiroshima Carp found themselves failing -- down three runs early on Friday night at The Zoom -- but they worked their way back to sea level, beating the Hanshin Tigers 4-3 for a passing grade in the Central League at .500.
Brad Eldred tied the score in the eighth inning with an RBI double and Shota Dobayashi singled home pinch-runner Shogo Kimura as the third-place Carp kept their half-game lead over the Yakult Swallows, who also won.
Kan Otake got knocked around early, but straightened himself out enough to last seven innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits and a walk. Dennis Sarfate (1-4) worked a scoreless eighth for the win, and Kam Mickolio notched his 12th save after by working around one hit.
Otake helped set up Hiroshima’s first two runs, singling with the infield in expecting a sacrifice bunt, and Ryosuke Kikuchi’s clutch single to left plated a pair to make it 3-2 Hanshin, which couldn’t protect its lead.
SWALLOWS 9, DRAGONS 2
Ryuji Aikawa blasted a three-run homer in the fourth, and Shingo Kawabata and Kazuhiro Hatakeyama each drove in a pair of runs as Yakult hammered visiting Chunichi as Maximo Nelson (0-1), making his first start this season.
The Swallows are 9-4-2 this year against Chunichi, which has lost five straight decisions at Jingu Stadium.
GIANTS 4, BAYSTARS 1
Tetsuya Utsumi (10-6) worked 6.1 innings, allowing a run on six hits and a walk, and added a two-run single in the sixth as front-running Yomiuri downed host Yokohama.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
BUFFALOES 6, MARINES 3
Bobby Scales had three hits, including an RBI triple and a run-scoring single, and Mitsutaka Goto chipped in with an RBI single and a two-run blast as Orix roughed up Yoshihisa Naruse (10-5) in a win over visiting Lotte.
Hayato Terahara (6-6) went 6.2 innings, holding the front-running Marines to a run while allowing seven hits and four walks with three Ks.
FIGHTERS 7, EAGLES 0
Yoshio Itoi had a pair of solo blasts -- his third career two-homer game -- while Sho Nakata had three hits, including his 12th homer, and Yang Zhong-shou added two hits and two RBIs, as Nippon Ham blanked visiting Rakuten.
Brian Wolfe (6-7) went 6.1 innings [allowing two hits] and three relievers combined to hold Rakuten to one hit over the final 2.2 innings.
LIONS 3, HAWKS 2
Takeya Nakamura had an RBI groundout and a solo homer [No. 16] as Seibu downed host SoftBank.
Ryoma Nogami (4-3) went six sharp innings, yielding a run on six hits and a walk, and four relievers protected the lead, Hideaki Wakui surrendering a run before notching his 12th save.
Carp rally in 8th, nip Tigers to get back to .500
The Hiroshima Carp found themselves failing -- down three runs early on Friday night at The Zoom -- but they worked their way back to sea level, beating the Hanshin Tigers 4-3 for a passing grade in the Central League at .500.
Brad Eldred tied the score in the eighth inning with an RBI double and Shota Dobayashi singled home pinch-runner Shogo Kimura as the third-place Carp kept their half-game lead over the Yakult Swallows, who also won.
Kan Otake got knocked around early, but straightened himself out enough to last seven innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits and a walk. Dennis Sarfate (1-4) worked a scoreless eighth for the win, and Kam Mickolio notched his 12th save after by working around one hit.
Otake helped set up Hiroshima’s first two runs, singling with the infield in expecting a sacrifice bunt, and Ryosuke Kikuchi’s clutch single to left plated a pair to make it 3-2 Hanshin, which couldn’t protect its lead.
SWALLOWS 9, DRAGONS 2
Ryuji Aikawa blasted a three-run homer in the fourth, and Shingo Kawabata and Kazuhiro Hatakeyama each drove in a pair of runs as Yakult hammered visiting Chunichi as Maximo Nelson (0-1), making his first start this season.
The Swallows are 9-4-2 this year against Chunichi, which has lost five straight decisions at Jingu Stadium.
GIANTS 4, BAYSTARS 1
Tetsuya Utsumi (10-6) worked 6.1 innings, allowing a run on six hits and a walk, and added a two-run single in the sixth as front-running Yomiuri downed host Yokohama.
PACIFIC LEAGUE
BUFFALOES 6, MARINES 3
Bobby Scales had three hits, including an RBI triple and a run-scoring single, and Mitsutaka Goto chipped in with an RBI single and a two-run blast as Orix roughed up Yoshihisa Naruse (10-5) in a win over visiting Lotte.
Hayato Terahara (6-6) went 6.2 innings, holding the front-running Marines to a run while allowing seven hits and four walks with three Ks.
FIGHTERS 7, EAGLES 0
Yoshio Itoi had a pair of solo blasts -- his third career two-homer game -- while Sho Nakata had three hits, including his 12th homer, and Yang Zhong-shou added two hits and two RBIs, as Nippon Ham blanked visiting Rakuten.
Brian Wolfe (6-7) went 6.1 innings [allowing two hits] and three relievers combined to hold Rakuten to one hit over the final 2.2 innings.
LIONS 3, HAWKS 2
Takeya Nakamura had an RBI groundout and a solo homer [No. 16] as Seibu downed host SoftBank.
Ryoma Nogami (4-3) went six sharp innings, yielding a run on six hits and a walk, and four relievers protected the lead, Hideaki Wakui surrendering a run before notching his 12th save.