June 2nd Kubo v Rasner - Watching paint dry

This was certainly a tedious game. Two indifferent starting pitchers faced with indifferent batting. The winning run wasn't even good just a bit of luck on an incompetent stroke. Both teams wasted chances and Mayumi looked as clueless as ever. He seems to have adopted the Okada pose of sitting quietly in the dugout brooding on life's unfairness. As gotigersredsox notes he doesn't even argue decisions now. Box scores

               1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Tigers         0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 0
Golden Eagles  1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X 3 6 0

Starting lineups

Tigers
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Sekimoto (First)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Arai (Third)
6. Katsuragi (Right)
7. Lin (DH)
8. Kanoh (Catcher)
9. Hirano (Second)

Pitcher was Kubo

Golden Eagles
1. Masato Nakamura (Left)
2. Kosaka (Short)
3. Kusano (Second)
4. Yamasaki (DH)
5. Teppei (Centre)
6. Nakashima (Right)
7. Norihiro Nakamura
8. Kenshi (First)
9. Shima (Catcher)

Pitcher was Rasner

The game would start with Akahoshi bunting on his first at bat. This was very effective - Akahoshi bunted along the first base line and even though the ball was retrieved there wasn't anyone covering first and Akahoshi was safe. Sekimoto successfully bunted him to second and he advance to third on Toritani's ground out. Next batter Kanemoto who had a poor match - this time he struck out looking to Rasner in a rare piece of fine pitching. Kubo also started poorly and continued in the same vein. M. Nakamura led off with a hit. A ground out took him to second but then Kubo caught the elbow of Kusano, dead ball and runners on first and second. Teppei hit a two base which bounced and carried over the fence putting one runner home 1-0 Golden Eagles runners on second and third. Then Kubo dead balled Nakashima to load the bases but N. Nakamura struck out in a rare piece of Kubo good pitching to end the innings. In Tigers second Katsuragi had a nice two base hit and then Rasner walked Lin - runners on first and second. Neither Hirano or Kanoh did anything and the innings was scoreless. Rakuten's second was quiet as the batters fell in order. In Tigers third Rasner got Akahoshi but then ran into trouble. First he walked Sekimoto and then Toritani. Kanemoto struck out again, this time swinging but Arai hit. A superb dive by Kosaka at short prevented the ball getting into the outfield and stopped a certain run - still bases loaded. Katsuragi was next and he struck out to end the innings. Golden Eagles third was like the second - the batters falling in order.

Tigers fourth saw signs of life. They had wasted all their considerable chances up until now but with one out Kanoh hit. Hirano also hit and Tigers had runners on first and second. With Akahoshi at the plate Kanoh decided to steal third and cleverly waited until Rasner had begun his motion. Rasner caught the move and fired the ball to third for a clear balk. This moved the runners to second and third but Akahoshi wasted the chance by flying out too near the infield. The next batter Sekimoto was better hitting a two base over the infield and driving both runners home 2-1 Tigers, runner on second. This lead lasted for as long as it took for Kubo to blow it which was immediately. He started Golden Eagles fourth by walking Teppei. One out later a N. Nakamura hit put runners on first and third and Kubo was in trouble. Kenshi hit driving in the runner 2-2 scores tied, bases loaded. M. Nakamura was next and he made a poor checked shot. The ball hit the vertical bat and flew over the infield for a run 3-2 Golden Eagles bases loaded. Kosaka then hit straight back at Kubo for a 1-2-3 double play and the innings was over. Rakuten had a slender lead again but they had wasted a very big chance to get more. Somehow you sensed this lead would be enough and the Tigers fifth confirmed this. Katsuragi hit but that was all and no one else did anything. Golden Eagles fifth was pitched by Egusa, Kubo having been replaced. He had been totally indifferent and looked more like the pitcher Marines fans had grown to know and love. Egusa walked Yamasaki who stole second as the field was concentrating on the dismissal of Nakashima. He duly struck out and the innings was over. After Kubo left this was the only occaision a Golden Eagles runner got on base. Tigers sixth was quiet as the batters fell in order. Egusa returned for the Golden Eagles sixth and retired the batters in order without much trouble.

Tigers seventh was Rasner's last innings. He had been just as indifferent as Kubo but had managed to escape because Tigers batting was marginally worse (despite out-hitting the Golden Eagles) and the luck had gone his way. He started with a Sekimoto hit but Sekimoto was extinguished by a Kanemoto pitcher ground out. The throw from second was rather poor and Kanemoto had time to beat it to first. Kanemoto then stole second which has been happening more frequently of late and was good to see. But he went nowhere after that and the innings was scorless. Golden Eagles seventh was pitched by Williams who looked more like his old self and retired the batters in order. For Tigers eighth Nomura used Arime who was in control and retired the batters in order. Here Mayumi used pinch hitters, Sakurai (who struck out) and Imaoka (who flew out). For one of the Japanese game's best ever pinch hitters he seems remarkably clueless on how to use them himself but he has time to learn. Atchison pitched the Golden Eagles eighth and retired the batters in order. You felt though that this would be the last time Golden Eagles batters would be at the plate. Aoyama replaced Arime and was just as effective. Mayumi switched his pinch hitters, going with Hiyama instead of Baldris. It didn't make any difference, Hiyama grounded out. Neither Akahoshi nor Sekimoto did anything and the game was over. Golden Eagles victory.

Once Golden Eagles had seized the lead back you felt that their victory was inevitable. It is this sort of game that the Tigers need to win but which they don't seem to have the ability to do so with any regularity. The relief had been a lot better which is encouraging but it is about the only encouraging thing to take from the game. Sekimoto was back at first and one wonders why it was necessary to move him to second for that short period especially as he was pretty poor in the position. Mayumi does not seem to be able to provide the necessary motivation for the team and is looking rather like Okada in the latter half of last season.

[Edited by: Christopher on Jul 6, 2009 9:23 PM]