Tigers Attack - April 26, 2013

The bleeding of runs continues. Yokohama starter Kentaro Takasaki allows 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk in the 3rd inning, 2 more runs on a 1-out double and 2-run home run in the 4th inning, then it looks like two more runs will trickle from our veins as a leadoff hit and 2-run home run start off the 5th inning. Unfortunately, the Tigers decide to go for the jugular this inning and and tack on 4 more runs, culminating in a bases clearing 3-run double by Tsuyoshi Nishioka to give Hanshin a commanding 10-0 lead in 5 innings.

Christopher does have a point. Leaving in starters to see if they can get themselves out of the situations they create may have noble goals, but it's not working.

After digging such a big hole, Yokohama did manage to claw back a little bit against the Tigers. 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th, another in the 6th, and finally chasing Randy Messenger in the 8th inning after 125 pitches with a pair of runs was only half way there. Yokohama dropped this one 5-10 in a complete loss.

Tony Blanco continues to come through, hitting a leadoff double in the 2nd and a sacrifice fly for Yokohama's second run in the 5th. But with the bases loaded in the 3rd inning he went down swinging hard at an inside pitch. That was when a grand slam would have turned the game around, and that's what he was trying to do.

Conspicuously missing from the lineup was Alex Ramirez. Struggling a bit with the bat, and with a few balls hit into left during the previous series that, while not errors, cost a few runs that a more agile fielder may have been able to prevent has most certainly been going through Nakahata-kantoku's mind.