Doubled Up - May 26, 2013

Nothing kills a potential rally like hitting into a double play. And Yokohama hit into 5 of them this afternoon. Combine that with turning 3 themselves, and the 8 double plays turned in the game set a new Inter-league record while coming up 1 short of the two-league era record of 9 set on March 31, 1954 between the Nishitetsu Lions (turned 6) and Takahashi Unions (3).

It all started in the 1st inning. With runners at first and second and 1 out, Tony Blanco grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Norihiro Nakamura drew a walk off of Lotte starter Yuta Ohmine, but Tatsuhiko Kinjoh grounded the ball to third for the second 5-4-3 double play in as many innings.

The bottom of the 4th saw a 1-out base on balls to Blanco, but this time it was Nori that grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

The 5th inning? Yep. But at least it was a little different. With 1 out and runners at the corners, Yokohama's starting pitcher, Kazuki Mishima, bunted the third pitch into the air with the runner at third coming down the line. Squeeze! The ball was caught by Ohmine who gave a light toss to third double double up the runner who was already across the plate. Three down.

Yokohama was retired in order in the 6th, so after a 1-out base hit by Nori in the bottom of the 7th, Kinjoh grounded into his second double play of the afternoon to end the inning.

Mishima threw very well for the BayStars, scattering 6 hits over 8 innings while striking out 8 and walking none. It was while turning the double play in the 4th inning that the first run of the game was scored by Lotte. The other run they scored off of Mishima came on a home run to the left field Marine fans in the top of the 7th by Toshiaki Imae, his second in two afternoons in Yokohama. Imae has really been doing well in the #4 spot the past couple of weeks.

Yokohama did manage to score a run in the bottom of the 9th, but that came after reliever Kentaro Takasaki allowed two more Lotte runs on a double by Takashi Ogino to left-center in the top half of the inning. Game final was Yokohama 1 - 4 Lotte.

Over 24 innings over the last three games that Mishima has thrown, he's allowed only 4 run. But his offense has scored just 2 runs in those three games. It's another tough loss for a great pitching outing by Mishima.