The Saitama Seibu Lions secured a neutral week by going 3-3 against the Chiba Lotte Marines and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. With these wins, the magic number for A-class is five with a comfortable lead over the Orix Buffaloes. They also hold a one game lead over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Here's how we got here:
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The opener against the Marines had Ayumu Ishikawa against Ken Togame. Tomoya Mori plated the first run with an RBI single in the bottom of the first after a bunt from Sosuke Genda moved Shogo Akiyama to 2nd base. A sacrifice fly from Takumi Kuriyama put the Lions up 2-0 in the bottom of the third.
Ikuhiro Kiyota dropped a bloop single with the bases loaded to give the Marines a run back. However, Togame was crafty enough to escape with no outs as Tatsuhiro Tamura grounded into a double play and Takashi Ogino grounded out in the top of the 4th to prevent anymore runs.
Togame would have minimal drama through six innings, but it was the top off the 7th where things would change. A leadoff walk to Kiyota was be followed up by a bunt and a strikeout. Shogo Noda was brought in to face pinch hitter Shota Omine. With the outfield playing in, Omine would hit a double off the wall, but was caught trying to advance to third base while tying the game with the runner scoring.
In the bottom of the 7th with Akiyama on first, Genda would bunt his way on with a single as Daichi Suzuki couldn't cover first base in time. Mori took the next pitch into the outfield for a go-ahead RBI single. Genda then beat out a throw towards home plate and scored another run. Kuriyama added another sacrifice fly as pinch-runner Daichi Mizuguchi scored from third to make it a three-run game.
The rest of the game was on cruise control as Brian Schlitter and Tatsushi Masuda would pitch a scoreless inning and end the two-game losing streak.
Lions 5, Marines 2
Game note:
-Despite giving up the hit, this was Shogo Noda's first career win.
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The second game had Yosuke Okamoto up against Kuan-Yu Chen. Both sides wouldn't score until the top of the 4th, where Willy Mo Pena hit a two-run bomb as the Marines drew first blood. Yuta Yoshida would hit a solo HR in the 5th to make it 3-0.
A two-run HR from Akiyama in the bottom of the frame made it a one-run game, but Shogo Nakamura would hit a two-run HR in the 6th and make it 5-2. Okamoto would go six innings with thoes three home run given up allowing eight hits and getting two strikeouts.
Both teams would trade two runs again as Shuta Tonosaki had a two-RBI single with the bases loaded, but Jimmy Paredes would hit a two-run HR off Katsunori Hirai in the top of the 7th. Kuriyama hit a solo HR in the bottom of the 8th, but it was still a two run game.
Hideto Asamura would hit an RBI double in the bottom of the 9th as closer Tatsuya Uchi was pitching to make it a one-run game. Kuriyama then tied it with a single. After Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura was intentionally walked, Tonosaki grounded into a fielder's choice and Yuji Kaneko flew out to make it go to extras.
Masuda took the 10th inning and gave up a sacrifice fly to Pena as the Marines retook the lead. The Lions had one last gasp with two runners on and one out, but Asamura grounded into a double play and the Marines won the game.
Marines 8, Lions 7 (10 innings)
Game notes:
-Shota Takekuma was taken off the roster with a shoulder injury. Okawari-kun would be called up after hitting a grand slam in ni-gun to take his place.
-The Lions removed the DH by having Tomoya Mori play as catcher after the team used Masatoshi Okada and Ginjiro Sumitani. Kaneko would pinch hit for the pitcher's spot.
-Genda surpassed Hiromichi Ishige's franchise rookie record in hits by getting his 128th of the season during this game.
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For the rubber match, it would be Ryota Sekiya facing Yusei Kikuchi. Hotaka Yamakawa crushed his 15th HR of the season to left-centerfield for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd. Akiyama hit an opposite field HR into the Lions Oendan to make it 2-0 in the third. An RBI fielder's choice from Kuriyama made it 3-0.
This day belonged to Kikuchi, who went the distance with only four hits allowed and one walk. He would have 10 strikeouts and force two double plays on the night for his fourth shutout victory of the season.
Lions 3, Marines 0
Game note:
-With few games next week, Okamoto was taken off the roster. Frank Garces was added in his place.
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The homestand continued as the Fighters entered MetLife Dome with Hirotoshi Takanashi against Ryoma Nogami. Shohei Otani would hit a two-run HR in the top of the 1st and it set the tone for the game.
A crooked disaster inning came in the top of the 4th, where the Fighters scored seven runs, including multiple timely hits from Kengo Ota, Taishi Ota, Go Matsumoto for five of those. Otani would hit another two-run HR off Frank Garces to make it an impossible 9-0 lead.
Takanashi would go 7.2 innings with 10 strikeouts before giving up a two-run HR to Ryo Sakata preventing a shutout. Garces and Ryohei Fujiwara would eat up the remaining innings in the Lions loss.
Fighters 9, Lions 2
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The second game would involve Shinsaburo Tawata facing Takayuki Kato. After some squandered chances by the Lions in the early innings, the Fighters would draw first blood on a solo HR by Brandon Laird in the top of the 4th.
Bats for the Lions would come thin. The bases were loaded in the second, but no runs. They also had a runner on third in the fifth inning, but weak contact drew another Houdini for Kato. Tawata's effort would be wasted with seven strong innings with six strikeouts as the HR was the only problem of the day.
The latest chance came in the bottom of the 8th, where Kato allowed two runners to reach base and Genda was on third. However, Chris Martin came into the game and forced a 6-4-3 double play for another Houdini.
Even in the bottom of the 9th, Yamakawa would hit a leadoff double. Hatsuhiko Tsuji would have Masatoshi Okada bunt the pinch runner Tonosaki over to third. Kuriyama struck out and Okawari-kun would follow, making the Lions lose in shutout fashion.
Fighters 1, Lions 0
Game note:
-Yamakawa would have two doubles, accounting for half of the Lions hits as they were held to four as a team.
-Genda picked up two stolen bases in one inning.
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The final game of the series had Naoya Ishikawa facing Brian Wolfe. An early error from Asamura would put the Fighters on the board first. Two timely doubles from Akiyama and Asamura in the bottom of the 1st would erase the deficit and give the Lions a lead.
The Lions followed that up with a solo home run from Ginjiro Sumitani before Asamura's second error gave a run back. Okawari-kun and Yamakawa would each hit a two-run HR to make it 7-2, but Laird hit another deep HR to give a run back.
The Fighters would go on a run in the top of the 6th with some infield hits after the HR, but an error from Sosuke Genda sparked it getting another run, ending Wolfe's day as he couldn't record an out.
Kazunori Hirai was forced to come in with inherited runners. Kazunari Ishii would get an RBI single and a third run would score in the inning. Haruki Nishikawa would drop a bloop single to bring the Fighters within a run. Go Matsumoto tied the game with a clean single and the lead was blown.
The bottom of the 6th would favor the Lions, as Okawari-kun started with a leadoff walk. A bunt from Sumitani set up the go-ahead run as Genda slapped a single.
Despite the meltdown 6th, Kazuhisa Makita and Brian Schlitter had no trouble in the 7th and 8th innings. Tatsushi Masuda would do the same and the Lions secured one win in the series.
Lions 8, Fighters 7
Game note:
-For the first time since 2013, the Lions clinched a winning record.
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As crazy as this week was, at least they didn't having a losing one. There's ups and downs with the bats and the defense, but it would be helpful if they're not hungover.
Hope to see progress continue and a possible clinch of A-class this week ahead. Unfortunately, it's also likely that the Softbank Hawks clinch this weekend with a three-game series in MetLife Dome coming up. The next digest will come earlier as a result of a short series in Sendai.
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