An in-depth look at the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Jingu Stadium, the Central League, and Japanese Pro Baseball
October 30th, 2011 Yomiuri Giants 6 Tokyo Swallows 2 Series: Tied 1-1 (Meiji Jingu Stadium) The Swallows were never really in control of this contest. That was evident throughout. Making it worse was the fact that the team never had a shot once we got deep into our bullpen. Uninspiring. Unhelpful. Unhappy. Unbe-Lim-able. Utsumi was [...]
With only one game left to go in the regular season, hosts David Watkins and Christopher Pellegrini look ahead to the first stage of the playoffs which will be played at Jingu next weekend. After talking briefly about why the Swallows finished second in the Central League, David and Christopher move on to probable pitching [...]
Welcome to the Monday Review, in which we’ll look back at the week that was and look ahead to the week that will be. We hope a recurring weekly review column will help readers identify some trends that can’t be covered in a single game report. We’re still trying to work out the format, so [...]
October 10th, 2011 Tokyo Swallows 0 Chunichi Dragons 3 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: LWLWL (Nagoya Dome) This was the first game of that oh-so-critical four-game away series that we’ve been looking forward to since early last month. And as you can see, it didn’t start well. Chunichi was able to capitalize when they got [...]
October 4th, 2011 Tokyo Swallows 3 Hanshin Tigers 9 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: WLLWL (Kyocera Dome) Tokyo’s season-defining twelve game stretch got off to the worst possible start as their ailing pitching staff were knocked about by Hanshin to the tune of fourteen hits and nine runs. Meanwhile in Nagoya, an almost [...]
Welcome to the Monday Review, in which we’ll look back at the week that was and look ahead to the week that will be. We hope a recurring weekly review column will help readers identify some trends that can’t be covered in a single game report. We’re still trying to work out the format, so [...]
September 23rd, 2011 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Chunichi Dragons 6 Streak: Lost 3 Last 5: LWLLL (Nagoya Dome) One of these teams has a boatload of experience of being in contention down the home stretch of the season, while the other doesn’t. After Tokyo wasted chance upon chance and had a late inning bullpen collapse [...]
September 17th, 2011 Yokohama BayStars 2 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Streak: Tied 1 Last 5: WWWWT (Jingu Stadium) Well, it had to end sometime. After nine wins, Tokyo’s winning streak ended at the hands of Yokohama, of course, in a game with a lot of thwarted offense. The scoring: Kinjoh hit a solo home run [...]
September 10th, 2011 Hanshin Tigers 2 Tokyo Swallows 6 Streak: Won 5 Last 5: WWWWW (Jingu) Tonight, the Swallows proved to themselves that Yasutomo Kubo and the Hanshin Tigers are not unbeatable boogiemen. The Swallows were facing Kubo who had a 9 game winning streak against the Swallows dating back to September of 2009. In [...]
September 4, 2011 Yomiuri Giants 4 Tokyo Swallows 1 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: LWWWL (Jingu) Ishikawa got roughed up, and the birds only managed five hits. Not a whole lot else needs to be said. Ishikawa was actually perfect through three. In the meantime, Takeuchi single-handedly put the birds out in front in the second [...]
