Lasorda's Curse
Rumors have been floating around for a couple of years that media-giant Murdoch has been trying to break into the Japanese market by buying the Buffaloes (or perhaps another team). There was a lot of such speculation at the beginning of this season, but I don't recall anything coming of it. Essentially, Kintetsu didn't want to relinquish control and were looking for a "partner to share their dept" was the impression I had.
Now that you mention it, the Lasorda advisory contract may very well be a part of what will be an on going relationship between Kintetsu and Murdoch (as opposed to the Dodgers). This is something I hadn't thought of before. Thanks for bringing it up.
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If you take the 5th inning away from last night's (8/10) game, then you've got a pretty good game. But some mysterious forces were at work against Kintetsu there just past the half way point in the game.
Seibu's number nine batter, Ueda, led off the fifth with a walk. It was the 4th walk/hit batsman allowed by starter Maekawa. Unfortunately, it wasn't his last.
"Little" Matsui, in the line up as the designated hitter for this past week as he is suffering from pain in one leg (I think - it might be his shoulder), becomes Maekawa's second hit batsman of the evening for two quick base runners without a single hit.
After Shimizu hit an infield single to load the bases with nobody out, Wada drove in Ueda on a ground out to third. Cabrera followed that with a sacrifice fly to right, and Seibu took a 3-1 lead.
Now, with two down, two runs in, and only one base runner, Maekawa couldn't get another out. He walked McClain then gave up a 2 run double to Kakiuchi. He then walked Itoh and Harai to load the bases again, and Ueda, up for a second time this inning, ripped a bases clearing double to center.
Now, I don't know what Nashida-kantoku was thinking, but apparently 10 batters in an inning wasn't enough for him. So, Maekawa gave up an RBI single to Matsui, then an RBI triple to Shimizu for the 8th run of the inning, making the score 9-1.
Finally, Aikyoh comes in for relief. While he hits pinch hitter Shibata to start off, Aikyoh finishes off the inning by getting Cabrera to ground out to himself. He and the remaining Buffaloe pitchers then held the Lions scoreless the remainder of the game, the final being 9-1.