Eagles vs Fighters CS Game 5 Postgame: Sayonara
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SAPPORO DOME, SAPPORO - The Rakuten Eagles surprising season came to an unfortunate close Saturday evening, as they fell to the Nippon Ham Fighters 9-4 in the fifth game of the Climax Series, 2nd Stage. The loss also closes the book on manager Katsuya Nomura, who was not offered the skipper's job for the 2010 season, but may return to the team in some honourary capacity.
Eagles vs Fighters Postgame: Sleeping on the job
Photo © www.fighters.co.jp
SAPPORO DOME, SAPPORO - The Nippon Ham Fighters finished their regular season on a high note Saturday night, taking down a Rakuten Eagles squad that was missing half of their starting lineup 7-1. Masaru Takeda (10-9) reached double digits in victories for the first time in his career, while Koji Aoyama (3-5, 5 SV) took the loss for the visitors in an error-filled defeat.
The Fighters opened the scoring in the second inning on a solo homerun by third baseman Eiichi Koyano. Things continued to get worse for Koyama the very next inning. With two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, DH Terrmel Sledge hit a bases-clearing double to extend the lead to three.
Rakuten would get a run back in the top of the fifth, as speedy Kensuke Uchimura scored on an infield groundout, but gave the run right back in the bottom half with an error and the lead was back to three.
Tsuyoshi Kawagishi replaced Aoyama to start the 6th inning but lasted only two batters, as he was struck high up on his pitching arm on a line drive comebacker by Shinji Takahashi and was forced to leave the game. Nippon Ham would put any chance of a comeback to rest in the seventh inning, tacking three more runs off of Kohei Hasebe to put the Eagles away for good.
Pitching
The lines on the Rakuten pitchers:
- Aoyama: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 K, 2 BB, 4 R, 3 ER
- Kawagishi: 0 IP, 2 H, 0 K, 0 BB, 0 R
- Hasebe: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 K, 2 BB, 3 R, 2 ER
Overall Aoyama didn't pitch that poorly, actually striking out the side in the fourth inning. With some better defense and without the homerun he could have kept the game a little closer. Kawagishi didn't appear to be seriously injured, but definitely looked like he didn't want to remain in the game. After getting called up in August it looked as if Kawagishi had cemented the role as Rakuten's setup pitcher, but since September the opposition started to figure him out and slap him around. Speaking of getting slapped around, Hasebe's appearance last night only reinforced my evaluation of him earlier this week. He entered the game with two men on base and no outs and managed to escape unscathed. Then in the next inning the Fighters had their way with him. It's more than likely that Nomura was saving his arms for the playoffs, but should he call on Hasebe during the Climax Series... only one inning please!
Hitting
With so many regulars out of the lineup the offense never really seemed to get going. Ironically, the only Rakuten players with multiple hits were the players that committed fielding errors, Uchimura and Daisuke Kusano. Personally I would have started recently activated Norihiro Nakamura at third base over Kusano. The veteran Norihiro has played on the farm team most of the season and could've used some reps in case he's called upon during the playoffs.
Next Game
The Rakuten Eagles close out their best regular season in history tonight at home against their upcoming playoff opponent, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
First pitch at 6pm local time, 2am PST.
Eagles vs Lions Postgame: Rakuten clinches in style
Photo © www.rakuteneagles.jp
SENDAI, MIYAGI - With a full moon shining above the stadium like a giant target, the Rakuten Eagles feasted on the Seibu Lions' pitching, hitting five home runs on route to a historic 14-5 victory in front of a packed Kleenex Stadium Friday night. With the win, Rakuten stormed into their first ever playoff berth, eliminating 4th place Seibu in the process.
The crowd was electric, and the Eagles gave their fans something to go crazy about right off the bat. Homeruns by Teppei Tsuchiya and Daisuke Kusano in the first inning quickly gave the home team a 4-0 lead. The Lions came back though, scoring in the 4th and 5th innings to draw within a run, including a 2-run shot by catcher Toru Hosokawa.
Rakuten put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 5th and 6th innings though, thanks to an RBI double by Todd Linden and 3-run blasts by Takeshi Yamasaki and Teppei. Linden capped off the night with a 2-run homer in the 8th, putting the Eagles ahead 14-3. In the top of the 9th, started Koji Aoyama gave up a pair of solo home runs to G.G. Sato and Tatsuyuki Uemoto, then completed the win when Yasuyuki Kataoka grounded out to shortstop.
After the game, every Rakuten starter was selected as Heroes of the Game.
Pitching
Koji Aoyama picked up his 3rd win of the year. His performance was good but not great. Luckily for him Rakuten's offense looked like they were on BALCO's finest. He gave up 11 hits over 9 innings, striking out six and walking two. The three home runs he dished up though are a bit of a concern, but the solo shots in the 9th occurred when the game was already in the bag, and if the score was closer he probably wouldn't have been pitching that late anyways.
On the other side of the coin, what the heck happened to Kazuyuki Hoashi??? After pitching the best month of his life in September he served up a steaming pile on Friday. Here's his line on the night: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 3 HR, 5 K, 1 BB, 8 ER. I guess when October rolled around his carriage turned back into a pumpkin or something. The relievers didn't fare much better; Osada and Kimura combined to surrender six runs over 2.2 innings.
Hitting
Geez, I don't even know where to start here. Yamasaki finally broke out of his 10 game slump, going 2 for 4 (1 HR, 4 RBI). He looked very, very relieved during the postgame interview, and I'm sure that he's happy that he could finally help the team.
League leading batter Teppei had a career night (4 for 5, 2 HR, 6 RBI). Like I said in his report card, if he could generate a little more pop in his bat then the results would be simply spectacular, as they were last night.
Third baseman Kusano also continued his fine season with 2 hits, 1 home run, and 3 runs scored.
Last but not least, Linden also cranked one out of the stadium to go along with his double and 3 RBI.
I know I'm a homer, but this Rakuten lineup from one to seven has got to be the most dangerous in the Pacific League right now. They're hitting everything, and their hitting their opponent's top pitchers as well. If they can carry this hot streak into the playoffs...
Here are some photos I snapped from the game last night. We were sitting on the third base line as usual, in the 7th row. I also uploaded 4 video clips to YouTube, you can check them out on my YouTube page. Enjoy!
Next Game
The Eagles and Lions complete this 2-game set this afternoon at 2pm local time, 10pm PST.
Eagles vs Lions Game 23 Preview
This matchup looked a heck of a lot more exciting a couple weeks ago when the Eagles and Lions were fighting tooth and nail for 3rd spot in the Pacific League. After dropping 4 in a row to close out September however, Seibu is going to need an absolute miracle for a chance to defend their 2008 Nippon Series title. They're 4.5 games behind 3rd place Softbank with only 5 games remaining. I've got a better chance of playing for the Eagles!
Photo © Yahoo! Japan
Pitching Matchup
Since last night's game was rained out, I was hoping to see Tanaka pitch tonight but it looks like Nomura is going to start Koji Aoyama (2-4, 5 SV, 5.59) instead. It's still an important game for the Eagles, as they could clinch their first ever playoff berth with a victory tonight. Looking at the schedule though, if Nomura follows a 5-man rotation then Tanaka should pitch tomorrow, and his next start would be on the 10th against 1st place Nippon Ham. Or maybe he's just giving him an extra day's rest.
At any rate, Aoyama will be today's starting pitcher. The 26-year old righty has been lit up like a Christmas tree against the Lions this year. In 5 appearances he's surrendered 21 hits and 13 earned runs over 8.2 innings. Just getting out of the first inning without giving up a run would be considered a huge victory for Rakuten tonight. Luckily due to yesterday's postponement the bullpen should be nice and rested if called upon.
They'll be facing Kazuyuki Hoashi (9-5, 3.23) who has been unstoppable and should be a lock for September's pitcher of the month award. The left-hander went a perfect 4-0 last month with an astounding 4 complete games! He dominated the Eagles last month as well going 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA.
Rakuten and Seibu have split the season series so far with 11 victories each.
(I'm just going to recycle the Who's Hot / Cold from yesterday's preview, since they didn't play... and I'm lazy.)
Photo © www.rakuteneagles.jp
Who's Hot
LF Todd Linden, one of last game's heroes, has been tearing up opposing pitchers. Over the last six games he's hitting .481 (13 for 27) with 8 RBI. 3B Daisuke Kusano had a great series versus Softbank, with a .417 BA and 4 runs scored. CF Teppei Tsuchiya broke out of a mini-slump last game, going 2 for 3 with a walk, home run, and two runs scored.
Who's Cold
If you've been reading this site over the past couple weeks, then you know who's name is going to come next. DH Takeshi Yamasaki continued his horrific slump last game, going hitless in four attempts. I can't even post his batting average over the last ten games, so instead I'll say that he isn't hitting .917 over this stretch. There, that looks better doesn't it?
If we can find any silver lining in the huge cloud over his head, is that he's making good contact with the ball. Two of his fly outs reached the warning track last game. Let's hope the cheers from the crowd can push the ball a little further tonight.
I'll be at the game tonight with my better half and a friend, so I'll tweet some pics and comments as the game progresses. Check out my Twitter feed, or just look at the top of this website for my latest tweet. Nippon Ham plays Lotte tonight as well, so be sure to send some good vibes over to Bobby Valentine's club as well!
Eagles vs Lions Postgame: Chicks dig the long ball
TOKOROZAWA, SAITAMA - Looks like it was "Corked Bat Day" at the Seibu Dome this afternoon, as the Eagles and Lions combined to hit 7 balls out of the park. Seguignol (13th HR) finally put one out, Linden (10th, 11th HR) smacked two, and Nakatani continues his great play with his 3rd of the year. The heart of the Lions' order provided the deep balls for the home team: G.G. Sato (24th), Takeya "Okawari" Nakamura (44th), and Yoshihito Ishii (6th).
Early on things looked bleak for Rakuten as they fell behind 4-0 through four innings. Then Lions' starter Kishi decided to start pitching moonballs, cueing the comeback. Seguignol, Linden, and Nakatani stunned the crowd with back-to-back-to-back homeruns, cutting the lead to a single run. After Masato Nakamura flied out, Naoto Watanabe picked up a hit, and Teppei got on base on an error, which also advanced Naoto to 3rd. That spelled the end of the night for Ishii, who was replaced by Koji Onuma. The Eagles kept on hitting though. Daisuke Kusano singled, scoring Naoto, then Yosuke Takasu lined a hit into right field, scoring Teppei. By the time Seguignol struck out to end the inning the damage had already been done, and the Eagles led the game for the first time.
In the bottom of the 5th Aoyama continued to struggle, giving up consecutive singles to put men at 1st and 2nd with no outs. The recently VERY shaky Tsuyoshi Kawagishi replaced Aoyama and managed to pitch his way out of a bases loaded jam to end the threat.
Linden led off the 6th with his second dinger of the night, and provided the game winning RBI in the 7th.
Kawagishi reverted to recent form in the bottom of the 7th, serving up back-to-back homers to Nakamura and Ishii. Kazuo Fukumori replaced the shell-shocked Kawagishi and pitched without incident through to the ninth. After Rakuten tacked on 3 insurance runs in the top of the 9th, Aoyama came in an retired the side to complete the comeback.
Pitching - At times it looked like a Homerun Derby out there, with both starters getting an early trip to the showers. Just after the All-Star break it had looked as though Rakuten had finally found its setup man in Kawagishi. I'm not sure if it was nerves, or simply that batters learned the book on him because he's quickly gone from a solid reliever to erratic and unreliable. He's not getting good movement on his pitches and doesn't have the velocity to get away with it. At the other end is Koyama, who hasn't given up a run in his last 6 appearances.
Hitting - Left fielder Todd Linden had his best offensive game to date, going 4 for 5 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. It was nice to see someone other than DH Yamasaki hit one out of the park as well. Catcher Jin Nakatani continued his great week as well. Over the past month Nomura has been seen constantly lecturing Nakatani and Shima in the dugout during games. Looks like whatever wisdom he's imparting on the platoon is doing the job.
Next Game - The rubber match starts at 1pm tomorrow. It's almost a must-win game for Seibu, and Rakuten will be looking to take hold of 2nd place in the Pacific League, so let's hope the fireworks continue!
Eagles vs Lions Game 21 Preview
Very quick turnaround from last night's 6pm start to today's 2pm first pitch. Rakuten will have to regroup mentally, because physically they didn't do a heck of a lot out there in this very important series. The Eagles will have to take at least one of the next two games to maintain their slim lead over the Lions.
Photo © Yahoo! Japan
Pitching Matchup - Taking the mound this afternoon is another of Nomura's starting rotation "tryouts", Koji Aoyama (2-4, 5.28). Pitching from the bullpen most of the year, Aoyama joined the rotation this month, going 1-1 in three starts. After giving up 8 earned runs vs the Fighters on the 5th he's settled down, only allowing 2 runs over his last 11 innings pitched.
The Eagles are going to need a good effort from Aoyama, as 12-game winner Takayuki Kishi will start for the Lions. The 25-year old right hander is having another solid season but has failed to get run support in recent starts, going 1-3 with 2 no decisions in his last 6. In his most recent start against the Hawks, he was tagged for 5 runs over 6 innings in a loss.
Hitting - Manager Katsuya Nomura continues to tinker with Rakuten's lineup, particularly at the corner outfield positions. He's also been platooning the catchers, and at 1st base to some extent. Shima has been on a tear of late hitting .467 (7 for 15) over the last 7 games he's played in.
On the other end of the spectrum, starting shortstop Naoto Watanabe has been in a 4-game "dry spell". He's hitting a paltry .059 (1 for 17) during this period. Naoto frequently hits 1st or 2nd in the lineup, so it's extremely important that he get out of this funk so he can get on base and generate some runs.
2009 Playoffs, 1st Stage
16th Win 11-4
17th Win 4-1
Eagles win 2-0
2009 Playoffs, 2nd Stage
21st Loss 9-8
22nd Loss 3-1
23rd Win 3-2
24th Loss 9-4
Fighters win 4-1
2009 Season Standings
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