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The Saitama Seibu Lions took one game in Fukuoka while losing two out of three games to the Softbank Hawks. They enter the All-Star break one game over .500 as they are barely in third place with two teams behind them at 1/2 and one game back.
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The first game took place from Tokyo Dome featuring Kona Takahashi and Ariel Miranda. Takahashi was lit up through six innings which included a two-run HR from Seiji Uebayashi for a 5-0 Hawks lead.
Despite the early struggles, the Lions were far from done. After blowing many chances in the beginning, they struck back with a solo HR from Hotaka Yamakawa and a flurry of timely hits in the 7th inning to make it 5-5. Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura's timely hit tied the game with a gapper.
The Hawks retook the lead off a sacrifice fly from Seiichi Uchikawa in the bottom of the frame, but the Lions weren't dead. In the top of the 9th, Tomoya Mori hit a two-run HR to give the Lions their first lead, but the Hawks tied it when Uebayashi hit a solo HR in the bottom of the 9th.
Both sides had chances in extra innings, but it was the Hawks who came through off Yasuo Sano in the 12th when Ryoya Kurihara hit a sacrifice fly for a sayonara Lions loss.
Hawks 8, Lions 7 (12 innings)
Game note: Kaima Taira was called up to the ichi-gun while Wataru Matsumoto was taken off for the All-Star break.
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Game two had Ken Togame against Rei Takahashi from Fukuoka. The Lions struck first on an RBI groundout, but Togame had a meltdown inning in the bottom of the 1st inning. He gave up a two-run HR to Shuhei Fukuda and a timely hit to Uebayashi making it 3-1.
The Lions botched several chances, including a double play from Takumi Kuriyama as their only run after the first came on a fluky bounce off the pitcher for an infield single by Sosuke Genda. The Lions bats were tamed by the Hawks bullpen and a bad bunt from Shohei Suzuki doomed the team in the 9th inning for their third straight loss.
Hawks 3, Lions 2
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The final game of the series had Zach Neal facing Tsuyoshi Wada in a battle of former major leaguers. Neal gave up two runs in the third which included a timely hit from Alfredo Despaigne. The Lions chipped away with two solo HRs from Masatoshi Okada and Fumikazu Kimura in the 5th inning to tie it.
Shuta Tonosaki delivered with a double off the wall and the Lions never had to look back. Home runs from Yamakawa and Okawari-kun sealed the deal as the skid was snapped and Neal won his third straight decision.
Lions 7, Hawks 3
Game note:
-Shogo Akiyama reached third all-time for 678 consecutive games played with every inning.
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This could have been worse. The Lions end the road trip going 3-6 with no break inbetween during this time. If there's any positive to all of this, the Lions have only one more series in Fukuoka for the rest of the season. Pitching had its dud outings from Kona Takahashi, but Neal has been solid since returning to the ichi-gun besides Keisuke Honda's emergence.
It's going to be a wild ride for the second half with no breathing room, but there are worse situations around the league.
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