2022 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Whipped

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The Saitama Seibu Lions went 2-3 against the Fighters and Buffaloes this week and they currently sit in fifth place of the Pacific League with a 7-11-1 record. 

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Game 1: Shunsuke Sato vs. Takayuki Kato

Kato threw 6.2 shutout innings and held the Lions to four hits. Sato allowed timely hits to Renato Nunez and Go Matsumoto before he lasted five innings in an otherwise lackluster game.

Fighters 3 Lions 0

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Game 2: Wataru Matsumoto vs. Kazuaki Tateno

Brian O'Grady had multiple timely hits and the Lions held on to a one run lead as W. Matsumoto went seven innings with three runs allowed.

In a dramatic 9th inning, Tatsushi Masuda had two runners on base thanks to an error by Sosuke Genda.

He stuck out Nunez and Chusei Mannami flew out to end a close game.

Lions 4 Fighters 3

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Game 3: Kona Takahashi vs Sachiya Yamasaki

Takahashi went six innings with only one run allowed for his first win of 2022. 

A fifth inning barrage of hits gave the Lions four runs capped off by a two-run double from Brian O'Grady. 

Shuta Tonosaki added a two-run double in the 8th to erase any doubts on this game as the Lions won their 2nd straight. 

Lions 6 Buffaloes 1

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Game 4: Chihiro Sumida vs. Taisuke Yamaoka

Sumida gave up three runs, including a two-RBI hit to Shuhei Fukuda in the 5th inning which is all the Buffaloes needed. 

The Lions had their threat in the first inning as well as multiple doubles having runners on base in other frames, but Yamaoka buckled down when it mattered most. 

Offense was flat once Orix put their bullpen in the game.

Buffaloes 3 Lions 0

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Game 5: Dietrich Enns vs. Soichiro Yamazaki

Both starters couldn't last five innings as the bullpen decided this one. Masataka Yoshida hit a two-run HR off Enns in the fourth to tie it.

Kodai Sano and Yoshida had timely hits in the 5th and 6th innings to give Orix the lead for good. 

Brian O'Grady and Aito has Solo home runs, but the lack of situational hitting doomed the Lions offensively. Takeya Nakamura had one last chance in the 8th before he struck out as the Lions lost the series.

Buffaloes 4 Lions 3

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Hotaka Yamakawa is slowly coming back, but he couldn't return soon enough with how this offense struggled without him.

Can only hope he returns soon, otherwise the pitching is middle of the road. 

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