A season of change …
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Even the Pacific League doormats have wiped their feet on Central League teams when it comes to interleague play the past six seasons, but the Chunichi Dragons led a statement night, topping the Lotte Marines 6-5 on Tuesday at The Q.
The Dragons, who lost to the Marines in the Japan Series in seven games (including a tie) last year, sent nine men to the plate in a four-run eighth inning and held off the hard-charging Marines -- barely -- in the ninth.
Kei Nomoto’s bases-loaded single gave the Dragons a 5-3 lead, and Takehiro Donoue added a pinch-hit RBI single to pad the advantage.
The Central has never had a team finish with the best interleague record since CL-PL play began in 2005 but the CL teams look ready to change that. The CL won four of the six interleague matchups, and the Dragons took their game personally.
“This is the start of interleague and this team beat us in the Japan Series last year, so this was really good,” said Nomoto, who entered the game in the sixth inning but struck out. “I went up thinking I wanted to be aggressive before falling behind in the count, but I had to battle back after getting down and I’m glad I was able to do just that.”
Closer Hitoki Iwase had people running all over the bases, but stopped the rally after two runs by inducing a game-ending groundout. It was the 700th career appearance for Iwase, who allowed two runs on three hits and a hit batter before nailing down his seventh save.
GIANTS 4, EAGLES 3
Hidetoshi Tsuburaya’s second career hit was a clutch two-run single in the ninth inning that gave Yomiuri a comeback win over host Rakuten.
Tsuburaya’s first hit was a three-run homer in Aug. 18, 2009.
The victory was more a state about the Eagles than about the Giants, who came back from an early three-run deficit. Fiery Rakuten skipper Senichi Hoshino couldn’t hide his frustration, kicking the bench at least twice in disgust.
SWALLOWS 2, FIGHTERS 0
Shohei Tateyama (3-1) fired eight shutout innings and Norichika Aoki had three hits and scored a run as Yakult blanked Nippon Ham at Sapporo Dome for its fourth straight victory.
Tateyama scattered six hits, a walk and a hit batter, while fanning six to stay undefeated at Sapporo Dome in four career decisions. Ryuji Aikawa broke a scoreless tie with a sixth-inning single and Josh Whitesell added a run with his RBI double in the eighth.
LIONS 4, BAYSTARS 1
Ace Hideaki Wakui (2-2) returned from a respite (sore elbow) with a five-hit complete game, and Takeya Nakamura had three hits and drove in three as Seibu sent Yokohama to its fifth consecutive loss with a victory at Omiya.
It was the 29th career shutout for Wakui, who fanned seven and walked none.
TIGERS 5, BUFFALOES 5
Hiroki Uemoto had a pair of RBI doubles and a single, and Takahiro Arai had three hits and an RBI as Hanshin got out front early and held off Orix at Kyocera Dome.
Tomoakai Kanemoto also had a two-run double as the Tigers pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth inning to escape with a win.
CARP 4, HAWKS 4, 11 innings
Seiichi Uchikawa’s RBI single in the eighth inning got SoftBank even and that’s the way it stayed until the 210-rule kicked against Hiroshima in at Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome.