June 7th, 2010 Chiba Lotte Marines 14 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Streak: Lost 1   Last 5: LWLWL (Meiji Jingu Stadium) For six innings it looked as though Tokyo’s two month wait for a series win/two game winning streak would soon be coming to an end. That was before the Marines put up an astounding [...]

June 6th, 2010 Chiba Lotte Marines 3 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6 Streak: Won 1   Last 5: WLWLW (Meiji Jingu Stadium) The Swallows displayed more of their newly found fighting spirit as they came from behind to beat the team that had humiliated them just two weeks before. That 20-4 loss proved to be Tokyo’s rock bottom [...]

May 22nd, 2010 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 4 Chiba Lotte Marines 20 Streak: Lost 8   Last 5: LLLLL (Chiba Marine Stadium) Lord give me strength. Where do I start with this one. Tanaka (2B) Miyamoto (3B) Aoki (CF) D’Antona (DH) Ihara (LF) Guiel (RF) Yoshimoto (1B) Aikawa (C) Fujimoto (SS) Losing pitcher: Nakazawa, 3-3/3.11. 2 [...]

May 21nd, 2010 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3 Chiba Lotte Marines 6 Streak: Lost 7   Last 5: LLLLL (Chiba Marine Stadium) Make that 7 losses in a row then. And 30 losses overall.  We’re breaking new ground. Tanaka (2B) Miyamoto (SS) Aoki (CF) D’Antona (DH) Ihara (RF) Noguchi (1B) Yoshimoto (3B) Aikawa (C) Fukuchi (LF) [...]

Tomorrow, weather permitting, the 6 Central League teams will play host to the 6 Pacific League teams, kicking off 5 weeks of Interleague play. This post will hopefully give you some information you will find useful.

I’m starting an irregular tradition, although there are better things, even on this site, I could be doing with my time. I’m giving our loyal and friendly readers, which would be you, something to talk about on a day with no game. I’m going to pathetically brag, in the hope that you will one up [...]

The fourth and final installment in a series of articles about Bobby Valentines’s rise and fall with the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball organization. Robert Whiting, author of the irreplaceable You Gotta Have Wa, interviews players and personnel both in and outside the organization to present a rounded account of what went on behind the scenes.

June 18th, 2009 Chiba Lotte Marines 5 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6 Streak:  Won 5   Last 5: WWWWW (Jingu Stadium) This was a strange one. The normally infallible Tateyama started and gave up five runs as Chiba took control of the game early on. Tokyo fought back and wasted numerous chances to take the victory in the [...]

June 17th, 2009 Chiba Lotte Marines 1 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 10 Streak:  Won 4   Last 5: LWWWW (Jingu Stadium) The two-run homer was the Swallows’ weapon of choice, with Aoki, D’Antona, Aikawa and Takeuchi all going deep as Tokyo rolled over the Marines at Jingu. Yoshinori made his second start since rejoining the top [...]

May 31st, 2009 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 7 Chiba Lotte Marines 1 Streak:  Won 1   Last 5: LWWLW (Chiba Marine Stadium) While the rain fell down over Tokyo, the skies remained sunny over Chiba Marine Stadium as Yakult coasted to a straightforward victory against the Marines. Ryo Kawashima started for the birds and had one [...]