BayStars Take a Series

The Yokohama BayStars have managed to win their first three game series of the season this past weekend. They took 1 of 3 during the first 4 series of the season, taking 2 out of 3 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Series Number 5.

We seem to have broken out of the 1-run game habit this series, taking the first game 5-0 then dropping the second game 3-7. For the rubber match, it was all about scoring early and not allowing any walks.

The BayStars struck first without the aid of a hit in the bottom of the first. Takehiro Ishikawa led off drawing a walk. Daisuke Hayakawa bunted the ball back to the pitcher, who threw it away. When the ball was finally recovered, the BayStars had runners at second and third with nobody out. Tatsuhiko Kinjoh (the game hero along with pitcher Naoyuki Shimizu) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, and the BayStars are on the board without a hit! Number four batter, Shuichi Murata, followed that with the first hit of the game and his first timely hit in 22 at bats. The Yokohama slugger had two hits on the night, raising his average to a miserable .214 while still being among the leaders on the team in RBIs.

After the BayStars added another run in the second on a solo home run by Yuki Yomimura (1 for 4 on the day, raising his average to .167 - ouch!), Uchikawa (2 for 3 with 3 RBIs; .304) hit his first home run of the year in the bottom of the third, a 2-run shot to center. Leading 5-2 in the sixth inning, Jose Castillo (2 for 4, 1 RBI; .396) drove in an insurance run on a double to left to make it 6-2.

On the mound, Yokohama starter, Naoyuki Shimizu, threw 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3 and walking none. Shintaro Ejiri, Shigeki, Ushida, and Shun Yamaguchi threw one inning of relief each, Yamaguchi allowing a solo home run to pinch hitter Tomonori Maeda, but none allowing a single walk. (I'm still not comfortable with Yamaguchi closing. But who else is there?)

The final: Hiroshima 3 - 6 Yokohama.

Oh, and there was a short ceremony where Shimizu was awarded with a bouquet of flowers while returning to the dugout after throwing the top of the second inning. Shimizu became the 162nd player in NPB history to throw 1,500 innings pitched. Tack onto that that he got his first of hopefully many wins in a BayStar uniform, and I'm hoping to see him pitch for a good many more walkless innings.

From here, it's on to Nagoya to hopefully gain some ground in the standings.