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Akashi helps Hawks land extra-inning win over Lions
The SoftBank Hawks had a little something to remind the Seibu Lions about on Tuesday at Seibu Dome: They’re still the champions.
Written off by many and dissed by others, the defending Japan Series champion Hawks are alive and well in the Pacific League pennant chase. They beat the Lions 5-3 in 10 innings, Kenji Akashi dunking an RBI single to left to break a tie and help SoftBank take the opener of a three-game set.
Pinch-hitter Hitoshi Tamura followed Akashi with an RBI single, and Akihiro Yanase registered his first save since June 19, 2008 with a quiet ninth as the Hawks moved into third place, 3.5 games back of the Lions.
Tadashi Settsu (14-5) wasn’t at his best, but won his fifth consecutive decision with a nine-inning, five-hit effort. He walked two, hit a batter, while fanning eight on 134 pitches to tie for the PL lead in wins.
Seiichi Uchikawa had an RBI triple and a double, and Tomoaki Egawa homered and singled in the victory.
The Lotte Marines, who lost, fell into fourth place.
BUFFALOES 3, MARINES 1
Hiroshi Kisanuki (5-8) held Lotte to a run over the distance [his fifth complete game this season], and Orix took advantage of an error to score three times off Seth Greisinger (9-7) in the fifth and held on to win at Kyocera Dome.
Aarom Baldiris and Bobby Scales had back-to-back RBI hits to support Kisanuki, who held Lotte to four hits, walking one and fanning seven.
FIGHTERS 3, EAGLES 1
The second of Sho Nakata’s doubles drove in the go-ahead runs and Eiichi Koyano tacked on a run with an RBI single as Nippon Ham used one strong inning to outscore Rakuten.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 7, TIGERS 3
Pinch-hitter Yoshitomo Tani delivered an RBI double, and Yoshihito Ishii and Hayato Sakamoto followed an error with an RBI groundout and a double, respectively, as Yomiuri put up a four-spot in the ninth to really past host Hanshin.
The win lowered the Giants’ magic number to win the CL to 18.
BAYSTARS 2, SWALLOWS 1
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo drove in a run in second with a single and doubled in what proved to be the game-winner in the fourth as Yokohama downed visiting Yakult in the opener of their series.
Daisuke Miura scattered five hits and three walks over eight innings, and Shun Yamaguchi gave up a leadoff hit and nothing else in the ninth to register his 100th career save.
DRAGONS 10, CARP 2
Tony Blanco cracked a pair of homers, including his first grand slam in Japan, and Kazuki Yoshimi (12-3) battled through without his best stuff as Chunichi downed Hiroshima at Nagoya Dome.
Blanco added a diving catch on an infield fly to back Yoshimi, who won his seventh straight decision, his eight consecutive win over the Carp and ninth in a row at the dome.