This is a site about Pro Yakyu (Japanese Baseball), not about who the next player to go over to MLB is. It's a community of Pro Yakyu fans who have come together to share their knowledge and opinions with the world. It's a place to follow teams and individuals playing baseball in Japan (and Asia), and to learn about Japanese (and Asian) culture through baseball.
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Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
As you may have noticed, I had been beginning to worry about Alex Ramirez being in the lineup daily. His slide under a ball in Wednesday's game (ruled a double) started the rally that turned the game around for Hiroshima. And taking this long to get another hit after the big 2,000 milestone seemed like forever.
Fear no more. Alex is back.
Ramirez went 2 for 2 in the rubber match between the Carp and BayStars, driving in the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the 4th inning.
Now with two hits on the night, and a 3-0 lead, Nakahata-kantoku wasn't going to take any chances with fielding. Tatsuhiko Kinjoh took over in left field for the top of the 5th inning. While Kinjoh came in defensively, he actually contributed offensively, driving in a run in the bottom of the 5th with a double to right. That put the BayStars up 4-0.
Yokohama then added two more runs as returning BayStars, Hitoshi Tamura, hit a 2-run home run to left in the 6th inning, his first hit of the season in 9th pinch hitting appearance (8th at bat as he walked on April 3rd).
Getting his first start of the season was Yohta Kosugi. He's been with us since 2009, yet I have absolutely no memory of him whatsoever. Having thrown 6 innings of shutout ball, he was called up to the podium after the game as co-hero with Tamura. He looked so much like a rookie up there, giving short, one-word answers to questions.
After Kosugi's outstanding performance, Teruaki Yoshikawa failed to get an out in the 7th inning, allowing a run on 3 hits with a base on balls to the third batter. Shinji Ohhara put out the fire, though, allowing another run while getting Yusuke Nomura to ground into a double play then getting Ryosuke Kikuchi to fly out to center to end the threat.
The two runs scored by Hiroshima in the 7th inning were all they managed, Yokohama taking the third game 6-2. That brings them back up to 4th place, one game under .500.
Now it's down to Kansai to take on the Tigers.