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| Photo credit: @N_524_photo |
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Game one took place in Gunma prefecture with Shinsaburo Tawata and Takahiro Norimto. Kazuki Tanaka started the game with a Rickey Henderson-style HR in the first inning. Tawata escaped further damage thanks to a rare 5-4-3 triple play.
Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with a solo HR. A bad error from Kenji Nishimaki gave the Lions their first lead in the bottom of the fourth when an infield fly hit the ground and two runners were on base with two outs.
Tawata continued to lack strikeouts as he has all season and it caught up to him in the sixth inning after a throwing error from Hideto Asamura. Timely hits with runners on base from Motohiro Shima, Takero Okajima and Nishimaki led to a four run frame. Ryuya Ogawa successfully stranded the bases loaded with a double play to prevent further damage.
The Lions offense showed life in the bottom of the 7th where Yuji Kaneko and Sosuke Genda reach base on hits. Shogo Akiyama dropped a bloop single to plate one run and with Norimoto still pitching, there was a chance for more. Asamura took the second pitch into the stands and send the crowd rocking with a three-run blast and a 6-5 lead.
Kyle Martin had a scoreless 8th inning while Deunte Heath stranded the tying run on second base to end the losing streak.
Lions 6, Eagles 5
Game note:
-Asamura passed 100 RBIs for the first time since his peak season in 2013.
-Sho Ito earned his first career win after recording a double play and strikeout in the 7th inning.
-Sosuke Genda switched to being the leadoff hitter while Akiyama was dropped to second. It was the first change to the top of the order all season as batters 1-4 were Akiyama, Genda, Asamura and Hotaka Yamakawa.
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Game two went to Omiya with Daiki Enokida against Wataru Karashima. Toshiaki Imae opened the scoring with a timely hit in the third inning. While the Lions stranded more runners in scoring position, they finally broke through in the 6th when Tomoya Mori got a timely hit.
Enokida allowed only one run through six inning, but failed to get a shutdown frame in the 7th when he gave up a two-run HR to Yasuhito Uchida and a solo HR to Kazuki Tanaka. The Lions chipped away at the lead in the 8th when Okawari-kun hit a sac fly, but Mori struck out to end the threat.
It all came down to the bottom of the 9th with Frank Herrmann closing it out for the Eagles. Takumi Kuriyama hit one into the gap for a one-out double and Shogo Saito pinch ran for him. With the Omiya chance song playing, Sosuke Genda walked. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Shogo Akiyama tied it with a grounder going past the infield. After Asamura flied out, it was up to Hotaka Yamakawa.
Akiyama stole second base and Yamakawa made no doubt on this game with gapper for the 7th sayonara win of the season.
Lions 5, Eagles 4
Game note:
-Haruka Yamada was called up in place of Chun-Lin Kuo.
-Ito earned his second straight win in as many appearances by pitching the top of the 9th.
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The Lions then moved to Kansai as Yusei Kikuchi faced Brandon Dickson. This was a classic pitcher's duel and Ginjiro Sumitani's timely hit was the only run of the game as both sides continued to strand runners. Kikuchi went seven shutout innings to earn his 10th win of the season, but it was sloppy on offense when the team failed to pull away.
Lions 1, Buffaloes 0
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Games two and three were awful losses where they blew an 8-1 lead in the former as Hiroyuki Nakajima hit a sayonara HR off Deunte Heath, who failed to record an out.
Buffaloes 10, Lions 8
Tatsuya Imai was outdueled by Yuki Nishi in Game 3 where the bats were dead despite having several hits.
Buffaloes 4, Lions 1
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It's unfortunate that nothing went right despite a winning week. They should be thankful it was 3-2, because the Lions were a few outs away from going 2-3, 1-4 or even 0-5. This kind of play won't cut it against the Softbank Hawks.
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