2001 All Star Game 1

After taking a strike to run the count to 1 strike and 2 balls, Ishii grounded the ball to the right side, the second baseman fields the ball, throws to Seibu's Cabrera at first, and that's the first out of the game.

After getting Nishi to fly out to right, Kuroki crossed Hiroshima's Kanemoto up two pitches in a row, striking him out swinging, and the side is retired.

Bottom of First

The Giants' Iriki ______, younger brother to Yakult's Iriki ____ who is also in Fukuoka and in uniform this evening, gets the starting nod for the Central League.

And his first pitch to Seibu's "Little" Matsui is fouled off. The next pitch is ripped the other way into the left-center gap. Matsui heads on into second base with a stand up double to lead off the bottom of the first.

Tani follows with a deep drive to right field. No chance of it leaving the yard at Fukuoka Dome, but it's plenty deep to move Matsui to third base.

Buffaloe Tuffy Rhodes lifts the ball to deep left field. He got just a little too much under the high pitch. But it's plenty deep enough to bring Matsui sliding in from third for the first run of the game. And the Pacific League is well on their way to breaking their current 8 game All Star losing streak (with 1 tie).

Now, who to choose for clean up? It's a tough decision between "Nori" Nakamura and Cabrera. And Oh-kantoku has chosen the big Buffaloe, Nakamura. Whoa! And he takes Iriki very deep! Now doubt about that one, it's a home run well into the left field stands! The Pacific League is showing their power, off to an early 0-2 lead.

Cabrera follows, and swings and misses at two high pitches and one low one to strike out. But not before the Pacific League get off to a 2-0 start!

Top of Second

Go-go Godzilla, the Giants' "Big" Matsui comes up and pulls Kuroki's 3rd offering deep up the first base line. If it's fair, it's gone! And it is! That makes 5 consecutive years with an All Star home run! And puts the Central League on the board. Both #4 batters have already homered this game.

Yakult's Petagine follows by ripping Kuroki's first pitch to left-center for a jogging stand up double. The Central League are starting to hit Kuroki.

Giant Etoh, while the camera is interviewing Matsui, watches strike three go by, and Kuroki gets his first out of the inning.

The Giants continue with Takahashi Yoshinobu, and Kuroki fools him with a low-inside pitch, getting him swinging for out number two.

Yakult's Furuta follows hitting a high bouncer off the plate. It's fielded by the catcher, the throw to first is in time, and the side is retired. But not before Matsui answered with a run, so the Central League trails 1-2.

Bottom of Second

Daiei's Matsunaka, getting into the Pacific League home run race himself, lifts a pitch to center. The center fielder comes in and a little toward left, and makes the catch for out number one.

Daiei's Iguchi follows him team mate with a line drive to left. But Kanemoto has him played perfectly, making the catch with just taking one step forward. Two quick outs.

The third Hawk of the inning, Akiyama, pulls Iriki up the third base line. Etoh makes a lunging grab of the ball, throws to first, and three Hawks are retired in order.

Top of Third

Yokohama's Suzuki takes Kuroki into that left-center gap that so many have been going to this game. He lifted the ball a bit higher than others, giving it more hang time, but the Pacific League outfield was unable to get to the ball before it bounced off the wall. Suzuki is into second standing.

Team mate and lead off batter Ishii pulled the ball up the right field line, deep, but not deep enough for Suzuki to move to third. One out.

Nishi rips a high grounder up the middle, over Kuroki. Matsui fields the ball behind second base and throws to first for the force. Suzuki goes to third on the play.

Kanemoto stuck his bat out and blooped the ball to left. It looked like it might bounce, but Rhodes dashed in and made the grab for the final out of the inning. The Central League didn't turn in their chance.

Bottom of Third

The parade of Hawks continues (with catcher Johjima finishing up the Pacific League batting order. And he drills a single to left for a lead off base runner.

"Little" Matsui follows with a low grounder up the right side. Petagine goes to his right to grab the ball, but it looks like it bounced off his glove hand's wrist! Johjima, who thought he was dead meat going to second, turned on the gas and everyone is safe!

Tani follows this with a rip into the right-center gap! Johjima scores from second. And the speedy Matsui is across the plate soon behind! Two run double! The Pacific Now has a 1-4 lead.

And before I can type that up, Rhodes grounds out to Petagine at first, moving Tani to third.

With Nakamura at the plate, Iriki throws a one bounder that gets past Furuta. Tani crosses the plate, and we have a 1-5 lead.

A few pitches later, Nakamura slices a line drive up the first base line that just stays fair. Looks like Tani would have been plated any way.

After Cabrera grounds out for the second out of the inning, it looks like Iriki's older brother is coming in to relieve him.

Matsunaka welcomes the older Iriki by pulling the ball past a diving Petagine at first for a timely double.

Iguchi followed by delivering Iriki's first pitch to Matsui in center for the final out of the inning. But not before the Pacific League extended their lead to 1-6.

Top of Fourth

Orix's Kood comes in to pitch the forth inning.

Godzilla leads off the forth by grounding out to Cabrera.

Petagine follows watching Kood's slider for strike three, two down.

Etoh, finally finding his timing, grounds to third, and Kood has the Central
League out in order.

Bottom of Fourth

Akiyama, while my son climbs on me to read a book, flies out to left for out
number one.

Johjima check swing grounds to first for out number two.

"Little" Matsui shows some power. That one looks like it might make it! The right fielder is back, standing at the wall, looks up, and it's gone! That ball is gone! Both Matsuis have a home run this evening! That puts the Pacific League up 1-7.

Tani drills an Iriki pitch though the right field side for a single. Gee, there haven't been so many singles this evening.

And right away, with Rhodes at the plate, Tani takes off and has second without a throw.

Rhodes lifts the ball high to left, but not deep enough. The side is retired with just a two out home run by Matsui. Now, I need to read a book.

Top of Fifth

Takahashi flies out to right - 1 out.

Furuta flies out to left - 2 outs.

Suzuki strikes out swinging - 3 outs.

Bottom of Fifth

Nakamura, with a home run and a double so far, hits a broken bat grounder to Ishii at short. With the bat winding up just in front of third, Ishii throws on to first for the out. Wow! That ball was right down the middle. Iriki got the better of that one, exploding Nakamura's bat.

Cabrera, who pleadged three homers in the three games, goes down swinging on a fast ball just high of down the middle. Nice shoubu.

Kokubo, pinch hitting for team mate Matsunaka, grounds out to third, and the side is retired in order. Nice pitching Iriki ani.

Top of Sixth

Orix's Katoh climbs the mound to pitch for the Pacific League in the top of the sixth.

The Central League's lead off hitter Ishii, after fouling off a couple of 2 strike no ball pitches, punched the ball the other way for a lead off single.

Nishi grounds a one bounder back to Katoh on the mound. He turns and fires to second for one, and the relay to first is in plenty of time, two out, nobody on.

Kanemoto drives the ball deep to center, but the center fielder just needs to make a couple of steps toward right, camps under the ball, and makes the catch. There was a lead off hit, but in the the end, the Central League went down in order again.

Bottom of Sixth

Hiroshima's Takahashi Ken comes in to pitch with Yokohama's Tanishige taking over behind the plate.

Iguchi grounds out to the left side.

Daiei's Shibahara goes the other way with a high fly ball. The left fielder is there, and there are two quick outs.

Johjima, a big favorite here at home sweet Fukuoka Dome, drills a single through the left side. I forget, is that the first hit for the Hawks' parade?

Lead off hitter Matsui, hitting from the right side this time facing the left handed Takahashi, strikes out swinging at a high outside pitch to retire the side.

At the end of six complete, the score remains Central 1 - 7 Pacific.

Top of Seventh

"Big" Matsui, responsible for the Central League's lone run, grounds to second, and the throw to first makes it one down.

Petagine goes down swinging for out number two.

The Swallows' Iwamura comes up for the first time, and strikes out swinging all the way around 360 degrees. Katoh continues the Pacific League's hold on the Central.

Bottom of Seventh

Tani leads off the bottom of the seventh with a fly out to right, one out.

Rhodes draws the first walk of the game, kicks first, and heads into the dugout for pinch runner Taguchi (Orix).

Nakamura, going for the MVP against other front runner "Little" Matsui, hits a high ground ball to third. Iwamura, staying in the game, fields the ball and throws him out. Ummm. The MVP decision isn't going to be an easy one.

Nonetheless, Taguchi moves to second on the play.

Ogasawara, in his first at bat since taking over for Cabrera at first, runs the count full before turning a 360 degree strike out on a change up way outside.

The Pacific League continues to lead after seven complete, though, 1-7.

Top of Eighth

The Lions' Hashimoto comes in to pitch for the Pacific League.

Yakult's Inaba, who came in defensively last inning, goes down swinging for out number one.

Chunichi's Ibata, batting for his first time, lines Hashimoto to left, but right at the left fielder who's running in to make the grab. Two down.

Suzuki-kun lifts a blooper to left. Short and left are running all out, but neither can get to it. The ball bounces in for a base hit.

Team mate Tanishige, who came in behind the plate for Furuta but in the #1 batting spot, watches strike three go by to retire the side. The Central League is reduced to one last chance.

Bottom of Eighth

Kokubo, also trying to get into the Pacific League home run race, welcomes Hanshin's (former Lotte closing ace) Narimoto with a double off the left field wall.

Ohmichi grounds to the left side. The shortstop, making the play moving toward third, throws to second for one, but the relay to first is not in time. One down and the runner at first changes.

The announcer just said that somebody is pinch running, but I didn't catch who it was. Ah, it's Kosaka.

Daiei's Shibahara hits a high one bounder to deep second base. The only play is to first, and that's pretty close, but definatly out. Two down, runner moves to second.

Johjima hits a high foul ball on Narimoto's first delivery, but Saeki, in at first, can't get it as the ball goes into the stands. A couple pitches later, and Johjima's hit ball stays fair, but within the right fielder's range.

We're on our way to the Central League's last chance.

Top of Ninth

Daiei's Pedraza, the only Hawk pitcher (seems like the rest of the team is there) comes in to close the game for the Pacific League.

And he has Hiroshima's Kimura all crossed up getting two quick strikes. Kimura does manage to fist a ball to the left side. The third baseman comes up with the ball and fires to first to get the speedy Carp. The Central League is down to two outs.

And it's the most popular matsuri otoko up to bat. Kiyohara gets a huge applaud from the crowd, and promptly lines a base hit up the middle. He's done his job, and Yakult's Manaka takes over for him at first.

Godzilla, after taking a pitch way inside to even the count at 2 and 2, fouls off a pitch to stay alive. The next pitch handcuffs Matsui, the ball is popped up on the third base side, and Nakamura has it for the second out. One out to go to break the Pacific League's losing streak.

Yokohama's Saeki, who took over for Petagine defensively quite a while ago, lines a base hit over the second baseman, and keeps the Central League's hopes alive! Saeki is great in the clutch!

Yakult's Iwamura, who struck out last time at bat, grounds the ball up the middle. It's past Pedraza, but the second baseman has it behind the second base bag. He flips the ball to Matsui covering second, and while it wasn't the best of throws, Matsui handles it and the side is retired.

Game set. The Pacific League has broken their long losing streak.

MVP

And the envelope please... Game 1's MVP is "Little" Matsui, who was a triple short of the cycle. In his hero interview, Matsui Kazuo was reminded that the last time the Pacific League won he was the MVP. He said that that time it was for his running, this time for his batting. He was very happy.

[Format edited by: westbaystars on May 30, 2002 8:48 PM JST]