Rookie Kita hits Back to Back Sayonaras

Going into Wednesday night's game (May 1), Lotte's Yamamoto-kantoku decided to scramble up his lineup a bit. After all, the Marines were in the midst of yet another losing streak, so something needed to be done.

The "big move" was putting rookie Kita Takashi (surname first) in the lead off spot after just seeing him bat twice the night before (pinch hit ground out and a walk).

After going 0 for his first five at bats in his first 1-gun start, It's a wonder Yamamoto-kantoku stuck with Kita with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 9th with the score knotted at 2-2. But the 22 year old #1 draft pick came through with a single up the middle! His first starting game saw his first career hit, RBI, and sayonara.

After having Thursday off, the Marines hosted the Lions and 30,000 Golden Week fans to a beautiful afternoon under the sun on Friday (May 3).

Seibu's Suzuki Ken drove in all three Lion runs with a 2-run shot to center in the 4th to start the scoring, then a timely single in the top of the 6th to tie the game back up after Watanabe Masato's 3-run shot in the bottom of the 5th made this a see-saw game. The 3-3 dead-lock lasted until the bottom of the 10th.

The usually solid Mori Shinji, who had come in to retire the final batter in the bottom of the 9th, couldn't get an out, however. Saburo led off the bottom of the 10th with a double to center. Mori then walked Shimizu Masaumi intensionally to set up the double play. But then he failed pitch to Watanabe, walking the bases loaded.

For the second time in two days, Kita came up to the plate with bases loaded and the sayonara runner on third. And for the second time in two days, the rookie came through, slapping a 150 kph pitch the other way to left, scoring Saburo from third for the sayonara victory.

Kita became the 8th Pacific League batter to hit back to back sayonara hits (actually, Nomura's second one in 1960 was a sacrifice fly). But of the 8 other players, Kita is the first to do it in his rookie year.

Seeing as how the Marines' game is on NHK this afternoon, I think I'll see if he can make it three...