2018 NPB Power Rankings: July edition

Swallows won Interleague Play, these rankings are adjusted accordingly. Photo credit: Japan Times

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We're three months into the 2018 NPB season and nearly halfway through the entire thing as June 30 concluded. This month's edition will will be skewered, factoring in Interleague Play besides the overall standings.

Central League fans might want to close their eyes, because it was a terrible stretch for most teams while the Pacific League continued their dominance. As usual, this ranking reflects everything up until games through June 30.

Here is this month's edition:

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1. [=] (1) Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (41-31); 12-10 in June

The Fighters maintain a top spot by a thread after a decent June. However, there is no dominance for any team that is a clear cut #1 in NPB. Sho Nakata has picked it up lately, while the pitching has kept the team at the top. They won't be in second place for long at this pace given their rotation and bullpen being solid, but there are a lot of close wins. Based on pace of play, they should be in first place when July is over. Will this magic stop?

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2. [^] (11) Tokyo Yakult Swallows (34-35-1); 15-8 in June

The Swallows played their best baseball of the month and won the Interleague championship title, which accounts for something. Their 2018 Slogan is "Swallows Rising" and in this case, they've taken a big leap in these rankings. For a team left for dead, the pitching has taken some strides and the hitting was hot. Tomotaka Sakaguchi has been a constant dating back to last season and Tetsuto Yamada has been solid despite a lower batting average than his expectations.

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3. [^] (4) Orix Buffaloes (36-34-3); 11-9-2 in June

Orix has been on the cusp of a breakthrough and coming in the top three of interleague play has given them a boost as they're finally ending a month over .500. Pitching is still there, but the hitting has its shuffles up and down the lineup. Takahiro Okada being out temporarily won't help, but Masataka Yoshida continuing to stay healthy has been huge for the Buffaloes, who have what it takes to make a run.

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4. [^] (10) Chiba Lotte Marines (36-34); 15-8 in June

The Marines were thought to be left for dead, but they also took a huge benefit from interleague play and have been playing their best baseball of the season. Ayumu Ishikawa has had a strong rebound season, but Takashi Ogino being healthy has been the biggest reason for their offense having life, which is a unit that still lacks pop. Chiba has made up for it with speed and some improved hitting from last year's dismal season. They're only four games behind the Pacific League leaders too.

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5. [V] (2) Saitama Seibu Lions (40-30-1); 11-11-1 in June

The Lions looked like they could've taken the Interleague title themselves, but they faltered down the stretch and only went 10-8 with a failure to sweep any opponent. Their bullpen has been the largest concern and it's finally being exposed with a continuous change based on rosters moves. Tatsushi Masuda lost his closer role while Fabio Castillo goes from the rotation to closer. When Masuda is the only reliever to stay at the ichi-gun and never be deactivated, you know it's a problem. A free fall is likely to come, given how Yusei Kikuchi is also vulnerable. 

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6. [V] (5) Fukuoka Softbank Hawks (37-33); 11-11 in June

The Hawks are still in striking distance to make a run, but they're at the bottom of the Pacific League logjam due to being .500 as opposed to a winning record in for the month. The injury bug hasn't helped, but they're still a dangerous group to deal with on a nightly basis. Their bullpen has been more vulnerable than in the past thanks to Yuito Mori blowing a save against the Fighters this past week. Yuki Yanagita should still be an MVP candidate. 

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7. [V] (3) Hiroshima Carp (40-30-1); 12-11 in June

The Central League leaders take a fall in these rankings with a poor showing in Interleague play (7-11) where the only team they won a series against was lowly Rakuten. Despite the struggles at first, it could all mean nothing as they are in position to pull away from the rest of the Central League. Pitching still isn't there to be a contender, but it is enough to be for the Central. 

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8. [V] (6) Hanshin Tigers (33-36-1); 10-12-1 in June

The Tigers were nearly ranked lower in these power rankings, but a recent sweep of the Baystars prevented a further fall. Pitching is still keeping this team alive, but they're still not a good team as a whole. Hitting isn't there and they're hoping Efren Navarro can contribute as they just signed him this month. If the Tigers played the Baystars every game, maybe they'd win a pennant. Obviously that's impossible. 

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9. [V] (8) Yomiuri Giants (33-38-1); 10-13 in June

The Giants are still the same inconsistent team they've been all year. Feast or famine, but the last week being swept by the Carp gave them a bump down in what is a pile of mediocrity for the Central League. With not much separation in the standings, anything can happen. Suddenly, the closer position for th Giants is vulnerable and they're too dependent on a few starting pitchers and hitters.

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10. [V] (7) Yokohama DeNA Baystars (32-36-2); 9-15 in June

Baystars and Tigers are the largest disappointments in the Central coming off A-class years in 2017. It's hard to decide who's been worse given they're not far apart in the standings, but DeNA had a bad stretch in June where the hitting just isn't there. This team is too home run dependent, but at least Yoshitomo Tsutsugo is still fun after he had a slow April.

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11. [V] (9) Chunichi Dragons (32-40-1); 9-14 in June

The Dragons entered interleague play being right in the hunt, but they're back in the cellar where majority of prognosticators predicted they'll be. Like the Lions, their bullpen just isn't there and they're depending on veterans like Katsuki Yoshimi and Daisuke Matsuzaka to get it done, where the latter is injured. Foreign signings have been decent, but they can't play with this kind of pitching staff.

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12. [V] (11) Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (27-44-1); 9-13 in June

The Eagles lost so much in June that their manager Masataka Nashida stepped down on the spot after they reached 20 games under .500 at one point. It's possible there was a verbal agreement from within on this, but the team has played better with interim manager Yosuke Hiraishi taking over. In five of the eight games since Nashida stepped away, the Eagles scored at least six runs. They'll be looking for individual performances to cling to in this dark time. Kazuki Tanaka would be a start, as he's looked decent since being called up.

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While this month's rankings look a little crazy, there hasn't been any dominance by any team. Parity is there and all groups have an obvious flaw in them. The Pacific League looks wide open while the Central has plenty of space open for A-class. Only the Eagles can be written off as their season is "over".

Fasten you seat belts everyone, it shall be a bumpy ride in the second half.

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Translation: Castillo sees Lions study Pacific League rivals

Claudio Rodriguez from Béisbol Japonés interviewed Fabio Castillo in Spanish while the Saitama Seibu Lions were in Fukuoka from May 22-24. While this interview took place before interleague play, there is plenty of discussion on first NPB impressions from Castillo.

Here is what we've translated into English:

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First of all, tell us how you came to Japan. How did the opportunity come to play in this league? 

"Well, last year I was with the Los Angeles Dodgers and received a mid-season offer, but due to the rules of the big leagues, they decided to include me on their [40-man roster] and couldn't come at the time. However, when the season ended in 2017, the offer was still standing and I decided to accept it."

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Did you talk to any of your compatriots who had been here in the past to ask for advice on how to adapt to the league? 

"Well, you know a lot of them go to the winter league and I always play there and my (Dominican Republic Winter League) team Toros del Este has several players who have already played here in Japan. As they are friends of mine, we started talking about the league and they told me all their impressions and told me that coming here was a very good experience."

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How has the experience of playing in NPB been so far? 

"Excellent. Every day I come to the stadium and try to gather more information, because I need it. There is still a lot of season ahead and the information I can acquire now I know will help me later."

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What advice has your teammate Ernesto Mejia given you so you can adapt faster to the league? 

"Mejia has been the one who has helped me the most to adapt to this the league. As he his a hitter and I'm a pitcher, he helps me a lot with everything, especially with the meetings we have here on the team. Umpires, for example, are very different from those in the United States and the ball here is much different from the one there. That's the kind of thing that has helped me and I appreciate it very much."

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Has it helped improve your fitness with how much you practice in Japanese baseball? 

"Yes, it has helped me to be in better physical shape. It hasn't been difficult for me to adapt because in reality, where I come from, I have always trained a lot too, so I have not been surprised by the way they work here."

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What are some differences you've observed between Japanese baseball and those of the United States? 

"My impression so far is that here, there are more studies and videos of opposing teams that are watched a lot. For example, every time I play, we always study the rival team, we see how their week has gone, how it was in their previous game, how we did the last time we saw them and things like that. Here I see more emphasis on that kind of preparation."

"It is very different from what is seen in the United States, where it is simply said that we are going to play the other team, period. The other thing I've noticed is that there is a lot of contact in this league. It's not about power like in the big leagues, but more about contact. The opposing hitters always try to get you 10 or 12 pitches and that can wear you down fast."

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The team's 2018 campaign has started very well. How do you see it for the rest of the season? 

"I have been following the team since last year and I know it is very competitive. We started very well and continue well, although we have fallen a bit, but what we have to do is keep working because there is still a long way to go. We have to keep giving our best every day."

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Putting baseball aside, what do you think of Japan as a country, their food, their culture and their people? 

"The language is very difficult as I am still trying to learn it, but with respect to the culture here, I see lots of respect. Another thing I like is tranquility. I know I can walk to the train station without fear of being robbed. I love the food, I've tried it all and what I've liked the most doesn't sting (my tongue)."

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Reaction: 

If anything, we can confirm that the Lions have wanted Castillo as early as June of 2017. The Dodgers put Castillo on their 40-man roster to prevent him from leaving overseas on 6/8/17. As a result, the Lions signed Stephen Fife as their Plan B on 6/17/17 as pitching depth.

So far, Castillo has observed what most newcomers notice in pre-game preparation, which is always eye-opening if you've never experienced it before. It's also good to know the heavy workouts in Japan are also not hurting his body, which can shock a few if they're not used to it.

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Special thanks to Béisbol Japonés for the interview and allowing permission to translate it.

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Translation: Mejia "doesn't understand what's happening" with the Lions

Claudio Rodriguez of Béisbol Japonés recently came to Japan and interviewed several Latino players from all over NPB. He interviewed Ernesto Mejia when the Saitama Seibu Lions were in Fukuoka from May 22-24.

This interview took place prior to interleague play, but it is a way of catching up with Mejia in his native language, where details are given out on how he's doing. Here is what he said, as we've translated his interview in English:

Remember that this interview was in May, not June. 

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How has your transition been from being an everyday player to a secondary player this year? Unfortunately, you're not a starter. 

"It has been quite strong. I'm not used to getting off the bench and hitting. It is not easy to play once a week and do it well, especially because opposing pitchers don't forget who I am and always approach me with the same pitches."

"They think my timing is out of place and it has cost me [playing time]. However, I have taken advantage of the few opportunities I've been given. I've connected a few no-doubt HRs from the bench and my plan is to continue working hard every day until they give me an opportunity again to help the team."

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Now, I don't understand the reason why the [Lions] don't play you more often. Every time you hit a home run this year and it has gone well off the bat, they bench you the next game or only use you as a designated hitter. I do not understand what is happening there....

"We are two in the same, I don't understand anything either. Honestly, I don't understand what is happening and I cannot talk much because everything is very different here."

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The team has had a phenomenal start to the 2018 campaign. They've fallen in the last few weeks, but they're still on top of the Pacific League. How do you see this season? 

"It see it very well. I think we have the best lineup in the league. We have very good players in the dugout who can help in any situation that may come. I believe that if we continue playing hard and united as we are now, we will go very far and even finish in first place [to win a pennant]."

"Many people think we can win this year, but at the same time, it's still very early to know. We're just two months into the campaign and we are not so far ahead. In fact, we haven't played as well in the last two weeks, so now we can only hope to return to the hot streak of the first month in which we practically didn't lose."

"I think that with more of a streak like [in April] in the remainder of the year we can finish in first place, because from then on we can maintain the advantage."

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You have 1.5 years left on your contract [with the Lions]. How do you see your future in the organization? 

"As said earlier, I don't understand things here. I'm just another team worker and I have to accept that role. We are all here to do our bit and help the team win. I still have another year left in my contract and I don't know what will happen. I would like the best and I will work for the best, but I don't know what will happen as it doesn't doesn't depend on me."

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If for some reason you can't continue your career with Seibu, would you be willing to sign with another team to continue playing in Japan? 

"Yes, of course. I already know the league, it's very competitive and at least in the Pacific League, I know the pitchers well, so I think I can help any other team win. I don't know if I am going to to leave this team or not, but if I do, I'd like to be playing in Japan. I think my time in the United States has already passed, so I am here [in Japan] taking advantage of the new opportunity."

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Mejia stars in a Pacific League TV Commercial

A new role has developed this year where you've been a commercial actor, having appeared in several Pacific League TV commercials. How has that experience been? 

"Well, one day we're in a house, before the season started, and the Pacific League called me to propose some commercials to film. I thought it was strange, because I saw that other players that appear in this commercial are all Japanese and I had to work with them in a commercial speaking Japanese, but in the end, the thing wasn't so difficult and I could do it."

"Thank God it went well and I really enjoyed the experience. I think the most important thing in life is to know how to enjoy the moments and well, all this is a great experience for me and someday I will tell my children."

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Reaction: 

While Mejia was likely being careful here to not throw anyone under the bus, it's clear he's frustrated at not playing all the time. Majority of this stems from last year as Hotaka Yamakawa emerged as the team's first baseman and had a red hot August/September. He continued his form in April and won another player of the month award.

With the rise of Yamakawa, it resulted in Mejia's fall from the lineup where he's batting mostly in the bottom third of the lineup and primarily as a DH. If the Lions like a matchup or want a home run, it's possible he could play more, but he's mostly seeing left-handed pitchers. In a lot of ways, it's déjà vu for Mejia because Freddie Freeman blocked him from getting a chance in MLB with the Atlanta Braves.

It's still very likely that 2019 will be his last year in a Lions uniform regardless of what he does on the field. Lastly, on the commercial, the other Pacific League players used were indeed all Japanese with Shota Takeda, Takahiro Norimoto, Kensuke Kondo, Chihiro Kaneko and Daichi Suzuki representing the other five teams.

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Special thanks to Claudio Rodriguez for permission and providing this interview to translate at Béisbol Japonés.

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall 

2018 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Kikuchi dominates in first return to Pacific League

Photo credit: @naoto_524_photo

The Saitama Seibu Lions took two out of three from the Chiba Lotte Marines after losing a makeup game in Yokohama against the Baystars, which was recapped in a column from last week. They now have a two game lead on the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and maintain first place in the Pacific League.

Here is what happened:

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The first game had Hideaki Wakui taking on Yusei Kikuchi. A flurry of timely hits as Shogo Saito and Shuta Tonosaki contributed early. However, this game belonged to Kikuchi as he went seven innings with no runs allowed. Tonosaki also had a modasho to cap it off.

Lions 5, Marines 1

Game note: Katsunori Hirai was called up while Tadasuke Minamikawa was deactivated.

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Game two had Tatsuya Imai facing Mike Bolsinger. Hideto Asamura hit a three-run HR in the top of the first, but that is all the Lions would get. After some early Houdinis, Imai paid the price with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of third. Seiya "Aja" Inoue hit a grand slam and gave the Marines the lead for good. Due to the rain, this game was called after the Lions batted and failed to score in the 5th inning, resulting in a loss,

Marines 4, Lions 3 (5 innings)

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The final game had Daiki Enokida taking on Tomohito Sakai. Offense had no trouble in this one after a timely hit from Hotaka Yamakawa and a three-run HR from Tomoya Mori to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the third. The rest of this game had the result of trading runs, but Enokida went 5.1 innings with only two of them allowed.

Shogo Saito ended up with the hero interview due to having a modasho and two RBIs. Fabio Castillo gave up a HR in the 9th, making it the second time he allowed a run in the ninth inning for a save.

Lions 8, Marines 6

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The bullpen is still a concern, end of story. Deunte Heath looked better compared to others, but it's still a broken unit as Tatsushi Masuda has been pitching as early as the 6th inning. Props go to Shogo Saito if he can keep his job in the outfield for now. 

Still, lots of work to be done if this team were to be taken seriously.

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Interleague play puts the Seibu Lions bullpen at square one

The Saitama Seibu Lions ended interleague play with a 4-2 loss in Yokohama against the Yokohama DeNA Baystars on Monday. To sum it up in short, the bats were leaving everyone on base while a few pitches were hung up for a short home run in a hitter-friendly park.

Despite finishing with a winning record of 10-8, it has you yearning for more after the team's bullpen blew several games open, from an outing against the Yakult Swallows to a three-run extra inning lead against the Hiroshima Carp.

Entering interleague play, the Lions were only one game ahead of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. They exited interleague play with the same lead and the race for a pennant is wide open. Five of the six Pacific League teams will finish with at least a .500 record or better while the competition remains fierce.

While the bats have their ups and downs, they do one thing right which is get on base. They have a league-leading OPS at .803 through Saturdays's games while their team on-base percentage is .360. The only offensive category they don't lead the PL is in home runs, where the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Fighters have more.

On the flip side, the Lions have the worst run prevention stats, which is mostly due to their bullpen. Starting pitchers have held their ground from Ken Togame, Fabio Castillo, Yusei Kikuchi, Shinsaburo Tawata and even newcomer Daiki Enokida all doing a respectable job. Unfortunately a few starters are being left in too long due to manager Hatsuhiko Tsuji not trusting his bullpen.

The obvious elephant in the room has been all the relief pitchers struggling. Early on, they gave up runs in garbage time when it was forgiving, but now the games have been close and they've found an inability to close things out.

Only two relievers have stayed at the ichi-gun the entire season from opening day. They are Masuda and Hirotaka Koishi. Tatsushi Masuda has been unreliable and his strikeout clip has fallen from previous years, leaving to more balls being in play or even out of the park. Katsunori Hirai and Shota Takekuma were expected to be reliable setup man and depth options to complement Neil Wagner, but all of them have been giving up home runs left and right as they were recently deactivated.

Shogo Noda has also been nibbling, leading to walks and only being good for one batter at most. Among losses, it's clear how much this team is missing Kazuhisa Makita as he was posted and signed with the San Diego Padres/

Can this team find a closer or any reliable tandem? It's an uncertain question after Masuda was given a 7th inning appearance on Monday in Yokohama. Other pitchers who've come up to the ichi-gun this year include Sho Ito, Naoaki Matsumoto, Tadasuke Minamikawa, Ichiro Tamura, Shunta Nakatsuka and recent signing Deunte Heath.

The Lions technically have three roster spots available with only 67 players on the 70-man roster. They likely have two spots reserved for a possible promotion of ikusei players Wataru Takagi and Masato Saito. Rumors were saying that Dragons pitcher Yudai Ono is on the trade block, but the Lions could also go for another import if they feel desperate.

It's easy to say this team still has time to figure things out, but if they don't, we could be looking at 2015 all over again the longer this issue continues.

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2018 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Imai wins debut

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The Saitama Seibu Lions went a combined 3-3 this week against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Chunichi Dragons. They currently have a 2 game lead over the Fighters and are still in first place of the Pacific League.

With the result of some losing, the Swallows clinched the Interleague title while the Lions will finish in the top half.

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The first game from Omiya had Fabio Castillo against Masanori Ishikawa. Castillo struggled with control having early walks and the Swallows made him pay, as Wladimir Balentien had a timely single with the bases loaded in the third to give them a 2-0 lead.

Castillo's day ended early when he hit Yuhei Nakamura on the batting helmet which a dangerous pitch was called, forcing him to leave the game. Tetsuto Yamada added a third run through a double to give the Swallows a 3-0 lead.

Ishikawa held the Lions to only 3 hits through six innings and Sosuke Genda had the lone RBI for the team in the 6th inning. Both bullpens did not allow a run, making this a dominant performance by the Swallows pitching staff, continuing their hot form in interleague play.

Swallows 3, Lions 1

Game notes:

-Tadasuke Minamikawa and Deunte Heath were called up. To make room for them, Shota Takekuma and Katsunori Hirai were taken off the roster. Brian Wolfe was also farmed to make room for Heath and the next starting pitcher.

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The second game had the long awaited ichi-gun debut of Tatsuya Imai against David Buchanan. Yakult struck first after an error by Hideto Asamura had the ball thrown away to plate a runner. However, Shuta Tonosaki and Ernesto Mejia went back-to-back with HRs to give the team a lead. The Lions broke the game open in the bottom of the 6th, where the bases were loaded. Three runs were walked in and Buchanan's day was done early.

The bullpen allowed some runs near the end, which set the tone for the next game, but Imai won his debut going six innings with only one unearned run to go with six strikeouts. It was the first time a Japanese pitcher wins his first game with the Lions since Daisuke Matsuzaka did it in 1999.

Lions 7, Swallows 4

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The rubber matchup had Ken Togame facing David Huff. Nori Aoki began the game with an inside the park HR, where Shogo Akiyama botched the ball and took it to the wrong part of the park.

Both teams continued to trade runs to make it 2-2 after the third, where Asamura had two timely hits. Shogo Akiyama had a timely in the 4th while Tonosaki hit a HR in the 6th. Togame appeared to be cruising, but was left in too long to start the eighth and gave up several base runners. With inherited runners, Neil Wagner conceded both of them as Balentien and Shingo Kawabata plated them in.

With the game tied in the top of the 9th, Tatsushi Masuda blew it again as Yuhei Takai and Kawabata smashed two runs home, making it another blown game by the bullpen.

Swallows 6, Lions 4

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The home stand continued as Yusei Kikuchi was up against Shotaro Kasahara. Both pitchers were dominant on the night, but Kikuchi blinked first when giving up a timely hit to Ryosuke Hirata with runners on second and third and no outs. Damage was limited for most of the game, but the Lions bats were lacking. They squandered a bases loaded chance in the first when Ernesto Mejia flied out.

Kasahara didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning, where Shogo Akiyama led it off with a single up the middle. Takuya added a solo HR in the top of the 8th and the game appeared to be out of reach. However, the Lions mustered up some offense when Asamura hit a two-RBI double down the LF line as Sosuke Genda scored from first just in time to tie it up off the Dragons bullpen.

Deunte Heath took the 9th with no trouble while the Lions couldn't create offense in the bottom half. Tatsuya Oishi allowed a base runner to steal second base in the 10th, but got out of a mini-jam.

Shogo Akiyama's leadoff double set the tone in the bottom of the 10th and the Dragons were forced to walk a batter. Hotaka Yamakawa hit the second Sayonara of the season with a gapper to win the game, taking the first game of the series.

Lions 3, Dragons 2 (10 innings)

Game note:

-With the extended break ahead, Ken Togame was taken off the roster. Haruka Yamada was called up in his place.

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Fabio Castillo started the second game due to his short outing from Tuesday. He faced Onelki Garcia in this one. The Lions had some early hits, but couldn't capitalize until the 3rd inning, where Tomoya Mori had an RBI single with the bases loaded to plate one run. Kazuo Matsui added another with a bases-loaded walk.

The Dragons tied the game in the 5th with a bad fielder's choice decision from Asamura as he tried going home. Asamura had to concede the tying run in order to get the out. The tie didn't last long as Shuta Tonosaki hit a solo HR in the bottom of the 5th to give them the lead again.

Garcia's day ended after walking a batter in the 6th inning and Katsuki Matayoshi failed to relieve him well. After several walks and hits, Matayoshi allowed a grand slam by Mori to put it away for good.

Castillo went seven innings and allowed mostly weak contact, but kept the ball in the park for the fielders to make plays. A wild pitch added an 8th run while Yamakawa padded another for the final score.

Lions 9, Dragons 2

Game notes:

-Haruka Yamada made his ichi-gun debut with an at-bat in the 8th inning, but fouled out to the catcher. He also caught a ball in foul territory for the 9th.

-With Castillo winning, he became the first foreign-born Lions pitcher to record three wins in Interleague play.

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The final matchup had Daisuke Matsuzaka scheduled to faced his former team and return to MetLife Dome against Daiki Enokida. However, Matsuzaka was scratched after not feeling well in his back and Kento Fujishima took his spot instead.

Chunichi struck first with an early hit and error from Yamakawa, leading to two runs right away. The Lions squandered an early chance while the Dragons scored more off Enokida in the third. He walked in a run while the bases were loaded and another came off a sac fly. Nobumasa Fukuda had a timely hit to make it 5-0.

A three-run HR by Dayan Viciedo put this one away for good. Mori hit a HR late as a consolation.

Dragons 11, Lions 3

Game note:

-Neil Wagner was taken off to make room for Enokida.

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A .500 week isn't bad, but obviously not good with one more makeup game remaining in Interleague play. Bullpen still an issue, bats are inconsistent, but that's baseball. Just hope this weekend in Chiba will be different.

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2018 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Asamura's power trip

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The Saitama Seibu Lions went 3-2 this week against the Yokohama DeNA Baystars and Yomiuri Giants on the road while staying in Kanto. They now have a three-game lead on the second-place Fighters as they retained first place in the Pacific League.

Here is how we got there:

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The first game from Yokohama had Joe Wieland against Fabio Castillo in a battle of foreigners. After trading runs early through a sacrifice fly by Tomoya Mori, the Lions bats exploded with home runs. Hideto Asamura, Shuta Tonosaki and Hotaka Yamakawa all had a home run in this game with Asamura hitting two on the night.

Castillo finished the game going seven innings with only one run allowed. Neil Wagner had an easy 8th while Ichiro Tamura didn't allow scoring in the 9th to take the first game.

Lions 8, Baystars 1

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The second game from Yokohama took place on Thursday after an initial rain out on Wednesday. It featured Ken Togame and Masaya Kyoyama, who remained as starters. Takumi Kuriyama started the scoring with a three-run HR in the top of the first. After a wild pitch brought in a fourth run, this game looked like a laugher.

However,the Baystars crept back and both teams started trading runs. Yamakawa and Asamura hit home runs again while Kuriyama added another timely. Togame went 6.2 innings, but was left in too long. Shota Takekuma continued his poor form and gave up a grand slam to make it a one-run game. Asamura's home run in the top of the 9th proved to be helpful insurance as Tatsushi Masuda closed the 9th with a runner on third.

Lions 9, Baystars 7

Game note:

-Tatsuya Oishi was called up, Daiki Enokida was taken off as a sign of precaution, having not been a starter for a whole season in several years.

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The week remained in Kanto when the Lions went to Tokyo Dome as Tomoyuki Sugano faced Yusei Kikuchi in the opener. Akiyama pulled a Rickey Henderson HR on the third pitch of the game to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

Hideto Asamura and Hotaka Yamakawa added two-out timely hits in the third to make it 3-0. Akiyama added another in the fourth while Ginjiro Sumitani hit another timely in the 5th to make it 5-0, ending Sugano's night.

Kikuchi pitched seven shutout innings with three walks, three strikeouts and only two hits allowed on the night. The bullpen couldn't resemble this line, as Neil Wagner allowed a two-run HR Naoki Yoshikawa for the first runs by the Kyojin.

Tatsushi Masuda allowed three hits, but only two runs came home on RBI groundouts. An error from Yamakawa kept the inning alive and there were two runners on base. Masuda got Kazuma Okamoto to strikeout and end the game despite the scare. The Lions held on for their fourth straight win.

Lions 5, Giants 4

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The second game had Shinsaburo Tawata facing Kazuto Taguchi. Taguchi looked dominant at first and the Giants struck early with a timely hit from Okamoto. He added a second timely single to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Shuta Tonosaki brought a run back through a solo HR.

In the sixth inning, the Lions finally solved Taguchi, where Tomoya Mori hit a two-RBI single, setup by a gapper from Tonosaki. Despite getting a shutdown inning in the 6th, the lead wouldn't last in the 7th, as Tawata walked multiple batters and Hayato Sakamoto hit a three-run HR to make him pay.

Takeya "Okawari-kun" hit his first HR of the year in response to bring the Lions within one, but the bullpen couldn't keep it close. Katsunori Hirai didn't record an out and allowed a three-run HR to Shinnosuke Abe in the 8th inning, putting it all away for good. Asamura had a late HR, but it was all academic as the Kyojin took the second game.

Giants 8, Lions 5

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The final game of the series had Brian Wolfe up against veteran Tetsuya Utsumi. Wolfe ran into early trouble with solo HRs by Sakamoto in the first and Yoshiyuki Kamei in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.

This lead didn't last long, as the Lions answered back on a timely hit from a timely hit by Shogo Akiyama in the third and another from Tonosaki in the 4th. The game stayed relatively tied 2-2 for awhile as Wolfe lasted seven innings and settled in.

Utsumi also went seven innings and the Lions failed to score another run despite the modasho from Akiyama. The Giants bullpen held up while the Lions faltered as Neil Wagner had a shaky 8th. Tatsushi Masuda ended up loading the bases and only recording one out in the 9th to end the game. Takumi Oshiro had the timely hit to sayonara off the Lions and take the series.

Giants 3, Lions 2

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Tokyo Dome has been a building of horror for the Lions with a 1-5 record there. They still have to see the Marines for a road game in August. Despite the winning week, the bullpen is still poor and it's hard to be optimistic if this team really wants to catch the flag. Offense is still mostly good, but we can't be satisfied with just being in first place and that's it.

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2018 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Enokida gets revenge

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The Saitama Seibu Lions went 4-2 combined against the Hiroshima Carp and Hanshin Tigers. They're currently 31-20 with a slim lead over the Fighters as they cling on to first place in the Pacific League.

Here is how we got there:

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The first game from Miyoshi had Yuta Nakamura against Fabio Castillo. First blood went to the Lions from a timely hit by Hotaka Yamakawa in the first inning. Tsubasa Aizawa responded with a two-run HR in the second. The Carp added a third run with a timely hit from Ryuhei Matsuyama.

This lead didn't last long, as Yuji Kaneko hit a bases-clearing triple in the top of the 4th. Yamakawa added a solo HR in the 5th to make it 5-3. Despite Castillo giving up runs, he held his ground through five innings with four strikeouts, one walk and four hits allowed.

The only scare came in the 6th inning, when Shogo Noda walked two batters and Takahiro Arai was up. Katsunori Hirai was able to get Arai to flyout on the warning track and end the threat.

When Hiroshima put in their bullpen, the game was busted open by the bats in the top of the 7th. Shuta Tonosaki dropped a bloop in RF for an RBI double and Kaneko delivered with a timely hit of his own to make it 7-3. Shota Takekuma and Neil Wagner took the 7th and 8th innings, respectively with little trouble.

Naoaki Matsumoto couldn't close it out on his own with two men on base and one strikeout, but Tatsushi Masuda was able to strikeout the Yoshihiro Maru and Kosuke Tanaka to end the three game losing streak.

Lions 7, Carp 3

Game note:

-Shogo Saito was called up while Tadasuke Minamikawa was taken off the roster.

-Yamakawa had a modasho.

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The second game from Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium had Ken Togame up against Akitake Okada. The Lions scored two runs in the first, taking advantage of walks from Okada, but only a timely from Takumi Kuriyama was the hit with RBIs.

Togame walked the tightrope through five innngs, giving up nine hits and consistently having threats. He alloewed a two-run single from Ryoma Nishikawa in the 4th to tie it up. Despite all the troubles, he lasted five innings and matched Okada until a rain delay happened before the 6th.

Yuji Kaneko had a timely in the top of the 6th to give the Lions a lead,. but Hirai gave up a two-run HR in the bottom of the 7th to Matsuyama to make it 4-3 Carp.

Ernesto Mejia tied the game with a solo HR in the top of the 9th as it forced extra innings. A big hit from Shogo Akiyama cleared the bases to give the Lions a 7-4 lead in the 10th, but Shota Takekuma coughed it all up with an error from Fumikazu Kimura hurting them. He allowed five hits, only recording one out and it ended with a sayonara bases-loaded walk to Seiya Suzuki.

Carp 8, Lions 7 (10 innings)

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The final game had Brian Wolfe facing Kazuki Yabuta. Suzuki struck first on an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st, but this lead didn't last long.

Seibu's offense erupted for 10 runs in the second inning, which included a three-run HR by Shogo Akiyama. Even Wolfe reached on an error which led to a run. Shuta Tonosaki had a ground rule double while Y. Kaneko had a modasho. This was the first time any team in NPB scored at least 10 runs in one inning for 2018.

The rest of this game was a yawner, where Wolfe went six innings and earned a win with four runs allowed. At the end, Hatsuhiko Tsuji used a request and the ruling on the field was corrected into a 6-4-3 double play for the final out as the Lions took the series.

Lions 12, Carp 7

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The week shifted back home where Yusei Kikuchi made his first start in a month, facing Yuta Iwasada. Early threats came for Hanshin, but Kikuchi got key strikeouts when it mattered in the first, stranding two runners. Shogo Akiyama responded with a Rickey Henderson solo HR in the bottom of the first.

Kikuchi dealt with many threats on base, but had nine strikeouts through six shutout innings to prevent runs from scoring. With Masahiro Nakatani having a leadoff triple, Kikuchi had to strike out three batters in the top of the 4th. Hotaka Yamakawa added to the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the third.

Iwasada pitched the whole game at eight innings, but couldn't find run support. Katsunori Hirai helped cleanup the 7th, Neil Wagner had a 1-2-3 eight inning and Tatsushi Masuda had a scare in the 9th. With runners on the corners, he had to strikeout Kosuke Fukudome to secure the win.

Lions 2, Tigers 0

Game notes:

-Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura was also called up with Kikuchi. To make room for both players, Kazuki Kaneko and Masato Kumashiro were taken off. Okawari-kun struck out twice and walked once.

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The second game had a battle of teammates from Fuji University as Taiki Ono took on Shinsaburo Tawata. Itoi struck first with a base hit in the beginning, but Hotaka Yamakawa responded with a two-run HR in the third. Shogo Akiyama added two more from a base hit in the fourth and things looked like it would be easy with a 4-1 lead.

Kosuke Fukudome got a run back in the 5th, but the 6th inning is where all the damage came. After Kento Itohara added a run, Tawata was taken out of the game with two outs and Shogo Noda failed to record one, giving up multiple walks and hits before Itoi hit a grand slam. At 7-3, this lead was insurmountable with both teams trading runs for the rest of the day.

Yamakawa hit a consolation home run near the end, but it was too late, where Hanshin erupted for 10 runs after being shutout the day before.

Tigers 10, Lions 5

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The final game had Shintaro Fujinami against Daiki Enokida, where the latter faced his former team. First blood went to the Lions when they pulled off the double steal with Shogo Akiyama and Sosuke Genda on the corners for a 1-0 lead. Genda later scored on an RBI double from Ernesto Mejia.

There was no more scoring until the bottom of the 5th, where Akiyama and Hideto Asamura had timely singles to double the lead at 4-0. Fujinami's error helped the cause when Yuji Kaneko went to second on a bad pickoff attempt.

Despite no runs up to this point, Enokida struggled in the 6th, where he walked the first two batters and gave the Tigers life all day. They finally struck when Nakatani hit a double and the recently called up Naomasa Yokawa hit a timely single to make it 4-3.

The Lions erupted in the bottom of the 6th with Fujinami's control fading. Multiple walks loaded the bases and it ended his day. With Suguru Iwazaki pitching, the first pitch Kaneko saw turned into a timely base hit for two runs. After the bases were loaded again, Asamura walked on four pitches from Diego Moreno for one run. Yamakawa later cleared the bases on an RBI double to make it 10-3. 

A late HR from Yokawa made the score closer, but that was it for the Tigers as Enokida defeated his former team.

Lions 10, Tigers 5

Game note:

-Shogo Noda was taken off for Ichiro Tamura.

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It was a fine week to take two series, but it's amazing to think the Lions should be 5-1 after a blown lead in Hiroshima. However, taking a series down there was a great start. The bullpen meltdowns are unfortunately continuing, but the Lions bats have been pretty good to begin interleague play.

A road trip into Yokohama and Tokyo Dome are next as the team still remains in Kanto. Coverage might be slim due to the inability to see games combined with a trip I (Christian) am taking ahead.  We'll have plenty of writeups, but tweets could be minimal ahead.

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