Pitchers Kyouhei Muranaka (no. 15) and Mikinori Katoh (no. 16), the alleged future of the pitching staff, were brought up to the top team on the 18th of September.
Muranaka, a fourth year lefty from Kanagawa, has been one of 2009’s bigger letdowns as far as the rotation is concerned. He resurfaces on the parent club [...]

September 16th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 7

Yokohama BayStars 3

Streak: Won 2  Last 5: LLLWW
(Yokohama Stadium)
The Swallows won two games in a row for the first time since July 31st and August 1st when the team was playing the Dragons at home. Coincidentally, that was also the last time that the birds won a three game series.
It’s [...]

September 16th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6

Yokohama BayStars 2

Streak: Won 1  Last 5: LLLLW
(Yokohama Stadium)
Huh. Imagine that.

September 15th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 5

Yokohama BayStars 6

Streak: Lost 9  Last 5: LLLLL
(Yokohama Stadium)
The last time the Swallows played the Baystars, the Stars whupped them 13-2. Carrying an eight game losing streak, the beleaguered fourth-place Swallows headed to Yokohama to play a team that has had their number all season long.

September 13th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2

Chunichi Dragons 7

Streak: Lost 8    Last 5: LLLLL
(Nagoya Dome)
The Swallows long slide to fifth place continues. Hanshin’s win over Yokohama means that Dave was right, and the birds now find themselves in fourth place at the end of the weekend.

September 11th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 1

Chunichi Dragons 3

Streak: Lost 6    Last 5: LLLLL
(Nagoya Dome)
The reeling Tokyo Swallows traveled to Nagoya to take on the slightly uninspiring (recently) Dragons after dropping three in a row against the Carp. To sweeten the deal a little (for Tokyo), Ochiai gave old guy Yamamoto his fourth start of [...]

September 6th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2
Yomiuri Giants 4
Streak: Lost 2   Last 5: LWDLL
(Tokyo Dome)
Well if Friday was a travesty of justice, and yesterday a feeble blowout, then today was simple wastefulness. Tokyo outhit the Giants 8 to 6 and had a few good chances to score more runs but as has been their problem [...]

September 3rd, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 4
Hanshin Tigers 2

Streak: Won 1    Last 5:  LLLLW
(Koshien)
Tokyo finally broke it’s losing streak on the back of a solid, complete-game 134-pitch performance by Ishikawa.

August 18th, 2009

Hanshin Tigers 4

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 1

Streak: Lost 1     Last 5:  LLLWL
(Jingu Stadium)
Let it never be said that chances weren’t created in this game. Tokyo put plenty of runners on base, but they were phenomenally unsuccessful at getting them to cross home plate. Such is the overriding theme of this game [...]

August 15th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 1

Chunichi Dragons 2

Streak: Lost 4    Last 5: WLLLL
(Nagoya Dome)
The birds have been outscored 25-3 in their last two games.
The good news is that we didn’t get spanked again this time.