Yokohama marks his third team in the Kanto region.

• Free agent LHP Wei-ying Chen signed with Baltimore. It’s a three-year deal that consequently puts a serious dent in Chunichi’s ability to keep opposing teams off the board. Cheers to that!

Yomiuri Giants

• Sounds like the Giants may be about to sign utility INF/OF John Bowker who was recently released by the Phillies.

Hanshin Tigers

• Closer Fujikawa got pretty riled up about the absolutely appalling state of uncleanliness that some of the new recruits left the Naruohama pitching area in.

Hiroshima Carp

• The Carp were hopeful about a Hiroki Kuroda return, but he said no. But they’re still planning to keep waiting. Little bit of Hachiko action going on there if I’m not mistaken.

Yokohama Baystars

• It seems like new Yokohama manager, Nakahata, is training as hard as anyone on the team.
• The team selected journeyman and former Tokyo Swallows pitcher, Shugo Fujii, as part of the compensation deal for losing INF Shuichi Murata through free agency to Yomiuri.

Around NPB

• Former Yomiuri starting pitcher (who played for the Swallows before that), Seth Greisinger, signed a one-year deal with the Chiba Marines.
• After a swing and miss with the Yankees, Nakajima re-signed with his old club, the Saitama (Seibu) Lions. It’s a one-year deal reportedly worth 280 million yen (US$3.6 million by today’s exchange rate).

Nakajima will be playing baseball in Saitama again this season.

Chunichi Dragons

• Mr. Takagi, the Dragons’ energetic and cuddly new manager, wants fans to touch his butt if they win the Central League Pennant in 2012.

Yomiuri Giants

• In preparation for the upcoming season, Utsumi and several of his teammates went shopping in Guam.
• According to this report compiled by Yakyu Baka, Yomiuri will likely lose a player to Yokohama as compensation for picking up free agent third baseman Murata.
• And Yomiuri will likely have to pay 80% of Sugiuchi’s salary to Fukuoka since the 2011 Japan Series Champion isn’t interested in any of the players on Yomiuri’s unprotected list. Why all this compensation idiocy is a part of free agent signings is beyond me.

Hanshin Tigers

• As always, there is tons of news coming out of Osaka about every inane aspect of every inane player’s inane daily routines. Nothing worth relaying to you though.

Hiroshima Carp

• Reporter Saho Naruhashi (26) made ace pitcher Kenta Maeda (23) an honest man. Their ‘paper marriage’ apparently took place on New Year’s Day. Rumors of the impending marriage surfaced in October last year.

Yokohama Baystars

• The ‘Stars signed 33-year-old RHP Giancarlo Alvarado.  Often referred to by his nickname, Gio, he had a 3.46 ERA and 11-15 record over two seasons with Hiroshima.

Around NPB

• Free agent Munenori Kawasaki (30), formerly Fukuoka’s shortstop, has reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners.
• Free agent RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (30), formerly of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, signed a one-year deal with the Mariners as well. Suck on that, Oakland.
• Hiroyuki Nakajima wasn’t so lucky though. The New York Yankees won negotiating rights with Saitama’s prized shortstop through the posting system, but this one was doomed from the start. And it also sounds like the Yankees might have been trying to lock him in long-term for cheap. Will Aoki’s quest to play in MLB follow a similar path and see him back in Tokyo for another year?

Saitama Seibu Lions  8

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 0

Streak: Lost 1    Last 5: DLWWL

(Meiji Jingu Stadium)

Yamamoto did his thing – nullifying Ks with RBIs and BBs, while the offense did a little reprise of their earlier Interleague performance by leaving their bats on the rack.

Tokyo:

Not yet.

1. Aoki (CF)
2. Tanaka (2B)
3. Whitesell (1B)
4. Hatakeyama (LF)
5. Balentien (RF)
6. Miyamoto (3B)
7. Fujimoto (SS)
8. Aikawa (C)
9. Yamamoto (P)

Saitama:
1. Kataoka (2B)
2. Kuriyama (CF)
3. Nakajima (SS)
4. Nakamura (3B)
5. Fernandez (1B)
6. Asamura (LF)
7. Kumashiro (RF)
8. Ginjiro (C)
9. Nishiguchi (P)

The Lions got one hit in the first and two in the second, but it was in the third that the storm started. After striking out Nishiguchi, Yamamoto gave up a single to Kataoka, a double to Kuriyama, then a two-RBI double to Nakajima. Nakamura popped out allowing Nakajima to reach third and Yamamoto balanced the out with a walk to Fernandez followed by an RBI single to Asamura before finally notching a third out. 3-0 Saitama.

In the fifth, Yamamoto started off the inning by getting the Nakas out, but then gave up a single to Fernandez followed shortly by two-run homer to Asamura. 5-0 Saitama.

Why is Yamamoto a starter again? Is trial by fire the best way to get this kid ready?

Matsui took the mound in the sixth and gave up a hit to Ginjiro, whom I dislike on account of his cockiness – there’s no surer sign of arrogance than calling oneself by one’s given name only or by some corny nickname. Not much later, Ginjiro was driven in by Kuriyama. 7-0 Saitama.

Watanabe came on in the eighth and immediately got with the game plan by giving up a deep double to a pinch-hitting Goto, replaced by the pinch-running Akiyama, who scored on a deep Kataoka single. 8-0 Saitama, Final.

Yamamoto took the loss, his fourth, having given up five runs on ten hits, one of which was a HR.

Nishiguchi got his second win of the season.

Saitama Seibu Lions 5

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6

Streak: Won 2    Last 5: LDLWW

(Meiji Jingu Stadium)

After three innings of this one Tokyo looked dead and buried, but the continued resurgence of their bullpen again kept them in the game while their bats pulled off a remarkable come from behind win in eleven innings.

Us:

1. Aoki (CF)
   

   What. A. Game.

2. Tanaka (2B)
3. Whitesell (1B)
4. Hatakeyama (LF)
5. Belentien (RF)
6. Miyamoto (3B)
7. Fujimoto (SS)
8. Aikawa (C)
9. Yamagishi (P)

Them:

1. Kataoka (2B)
2. Kuriyama (CF)
3. Nakajima (SS)
4. Nakamuraq (3B)
5. Fernandez (1B)
6. Ishii (LF)
7. Kumashiro (RF)
8. Gimjiro (C)
9. Kishi (P)

Ex-Lion Yamagishi started for Tokyo (for the background to this have a look at this week’s Monday review from Kozo) and didn’t exactly cover himself in glory as he allowed Seibu to a decent lead over the first quarter of the game. A leadoff walk in the 1st was punished an out later by a Nakajima sacfly to make it 1-0 Saitama. A double and single in the 2nd doubled the lead while in the 3rd Yamagishi’s second walk was punished again by Nakajima (with help from a trademark bit of comedy fielding from Hatakeyama in left) this time with a double to make it 3-0. And Fernandez brought an end to a torrid 3 innings for the makeshift starter with a two-run homer to give the Lions a commanding 5-0 lead.

And with Seibu’s Kishi only allowing one hit up until that point, it looked like it may be another night to forget at the hands of the utterly unlikeable Saitama outfit. But it was to be a quite different game from that point onwards.

In the 4th, singles from Whitesell and Tanaka put men on the corners with no outs for Hatakeyama. He could only manage to hit into a double play but the run scored from third for 5-1.

In the 5th, Miyamoto worked a leadoff walk but was out at second following Fujomoto’s grounder to first. After Aikawa struck out for out number two, the pinch-hitting Yuichi hit a double, with Fujimoto ruled safe in a close play at the plate after scarpering home from first, 5-2.

Fujimoto squeaks home in the 5th

And so to the 6th, where with two outs on the board, a walk for Hatakeyama brought Balentien to the plate. He absolutely MURDERED the first pitch from Kishi and watched it sail deep, deep into the leftfield stands and Seibu finally realised they had a game on their hands as the score read 5-4.

Tokyo had a chance to pull level in the 7th, but with a man on second, and Aoki intentionally walked to get to Tanaka, Hiroyasu could only strike out looking to end the inning and strand the two men.

In the 9th, things looked all but lost for the Swallows as Lions’ closer Okamoto struck out Morioka and Kawamoto to put two red lights on the board. Up stepped Miyade and with just one strike to spare he hit one between first and second, which was well fielded on the stretch by Kataoka, but Miyade JUST beat the ball to first to give the Swallows a lifeline. From then on Okamoto started to crumble, hitting Aoki to put two men on, and then throwing a wild pitch to advance the runners into scoring positions. Tanaka came to the plate looking to avenge his 7th inning K, and he did just that as he snuck one through the infield to left and the game was tied at 5-5.

The next man up was Whitesell, and with the count at 2 balls 0 strikes he took a pitch that he was convinced was ball 3, only the home-plate umpire called it a strike. Cue Josh getting in his face and telling the ump in words beginning with F what he thought of the decision. Unsurprisingly, he was chucked from the game, but what was nice to see was Ogawa, who had rushed from the bench to get in between Whitesell and the ump to continue the argument on Josh’s behalf (in slightly more restrained language). He continued to protest for some time after Whitesell had left the field, which is something that Takada would NEVER have done and also goes some way to showing why the team is so united behind Ogawa and thus are currently doing so well.

Whitesell gets his marching orders

My take is that it was a little silly of Josh, especially with men on second and third with a chance for a 9th inning walkoff win, but hey, a shitty call is a shitty call. It was made doubly annoying due to the fact that his ejection meant the man at the plate had transformed from one of the best hitters in Whitesell, to one of the worst in Fukukawa. The backup-backup-backup-backup-backup-backup-backup-backup catcher came to the plate with a partial count, and of course he could only ground out to end the inning with the scores still tied.

And so it was extra innings with the Swallows looking like the only team that was likely to win it, such was the swing in momentum since the end of the 3rd inning. The 10th was hitless for both teams before the Swallows made their move in the 11th.

With reliever Graman on the mound for the second straight inning, Morioka led off the frame with a grounder to 2nd, but Kataoka fluffed the transfer from glove to hand and Tokyo had a runner at first. He was bunted along by Kawamoto for out number one, which brought up Fukuchi. He hit to short, but by the time Nakajima had the ball he had no play to make at any base which left men on first and second for the Swallows. Aoki then battled through eight pitches before poking one through the infield to left to load the bases.

With two outs to spare, Tanaka knew a sacrifice fly would do it, and that’s exactly what he delivered, hitting the first pitch he saw, a changeup, to shallowish left, but Morioka made it home comfortably to spark scenes of wild celebration on the field and in the stands at Jingu. 6-5 Tokyo Final. Entertainingly it was Miyamoto who could be seen storming the field with the water cooler which he duly plonked on Tanaka’s head.

Post-game carnage

Now apart from Yamagishi, I’ve yet to mention the pitching. And as is becoming the norm of late, the bullpen was absolutely flawless. Masubuchi (4th and 5th), Matsuoka (6th and 7th), Barnette (8th), Oshimoto (9th) and Lim (10th and 11th) held the Saitama bats to the grand total of 0 hits through their combined 8 innings of work. The highlight was Lim’s 10th in which he struck out the bottom of the Lions order in order.

Lim also got the win for his first multi-inning outing of the year and his record now stands at 1-0 with 13 saves with his ERA at 1.66.

Tokyo outhit their opposition 11-4 with Tanaka’s 3 for 5/2RBI clutch performance being the obvious standout. Just goes to show what he’s capable of when not asked to be the team’s bunt-monkey.

The bench also deserves praise as Morioka, Yuichi, Miyade and Fukuchi all registered a hit.

So then, game of the season so far?

The two teams will meet again tomorrow night for the last time this year, with the season series poised at 2-1 in Saitama’s favour.

Lim & the bullpen were flawless.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2

Saitama Seibu Lions 3

Streak: Lost 1   Last 5: LDLWL

(Seibu Dome)

After the brief respite that was the win against Orix on Thursday, normal Swallows Inter-League service was resumed as they lost to the Lions at the Seibu Dome.

Us:

Ishikawa (P)

1. Aoki (CF)
2. Fukuchi (LF)
3. Tanaka (2B)
4. Hatakeyama (1B)
5. Balentien (RF)
6. Whitesell (DH)
7. Miyamoto (3B)
8. Morioka (SS)
9. Kawamoto (C)

Them:

Kishi (P)

1. Kataoka (2B)
2. Kuriyama (CF)
3. Nakajima (SS)
4. Nakamura (SS)
5. Fernandez (DH)
6. Asamura (1B)
7. Takayama (LF)
8. Sumitani (C)
9. Akiyama (RF)

Ishikawa started for the birds and got himself an early lead before throwing a single pitch. In the top of the 1st, Aoki led off the game with a single to right before a Fukuchi strikeout and a Tanaka groundout put Aoki at second with two outs on the board. Hatakeyama then hit a dribbler to second, but Kataoka lifted the simple throw to first over the head of Asamura, the ball headed toward the infield fence while Aoki scored from second with Hatakeyama replacing him on base number two, 1-0 Tokyo. Next man up Balentien drilled a liner to left which brought home Hatake for 2-0, with Balentine thrown out at second trying to stretch the single to a double and the inning was over.

Ishikwa kept the Seibu bats under control for the most part over the first half of the game, while the Swallows wasted chances to extend their lead. In the 4th they left men on second and third (Miyamoto grounding out to end the inning), in the 5th men on the corners were stranded (Tanaka flying out to right for the third out) and the same fate met the men on the corners in the 6th (Morioka grounded out for out number three).

Seibu would punish that wastefulness in the bottom of the 6th as Ishikawa fell victim to the long ball. Kuriyama worked a walk to lead off the inning before Nakajima hit one over the fence in leftfield to tie things up at 2-2.

And the winning run would come from another homer in the 7th as Sumitani hit a solo homer to almost the exact same spot as the inning prior to make it 3-2 Saitama.

But chances to get back in the game still presented themselves to Tokyo, but as has become the pattern of late, they just couldn’t take them. In the 8th Balentien hit a two-out fly to right which landed just between the right and centre fielders, with the ball rolling to the fence allowing the big man to make it to third. However Whitesell would strikeout on three straight sliders to leave another runner stranded.

And in the 9th the final chance would be wasted. With closer Okamoto on the mound, Miyamoto walked on four pitches to start the inning. He was replaced by Miwa at first while Morioka attempted to bunt the speedy runner along. He fluffed his first couple of attempts before he was instructed to swing away by the bench. Which he did, but ended up hitting into a cast-iron double play to leave the Lions needing just the one out to register their come from behind win. Guiel then came in for Kawamoto but he could only strikeout looking and the game was done, 3-2 Saitama Final.

Ishikawa took the loss (7IP/8H/5K/1BB) and his record moved to 3-2/2.34. While not his best performance, if his teamates had took some of their chances post-1st inning he may well have come out of the game with his 101st career win.

Oshimoto (3.29) pitched a hitless inning in relief.

The teams were tied for hits at 8-8 with Aoki (.328) and Balentien (.345) registering two each. The starting 7-9 spots in the order went a combined 1 for 10, with Morioka’s calamitous 9th inning showing illustrating just how lacking in a quality batting shortstop Tokyo still are. And the recent trade of Onizaki didn’t help that dilemma one jot.

The two teams return to the Seibu Dome tomorrow afternoon for the final game in the series.

Ishikawa and co. ponder the loss of the lead in the 6th

Onodera could add some experience to a young group of Tokyo middle relievers.

It’s being reported that Tokyo are set to purchase Chikara Onodera, a right-handed reliever, from the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Onodera is 30 years old and hails from Saitama Prefecture and is in his ninth year of professional baseball. He’s listed 95 kg and 188 cm tall, and he had what was arguably his best year in 2006 when he recorded a 2.82 ERA and 29 saves in 59 appearances.

Last season he went 1-3 with a 3.67 ERA in 41 relief appearances.

Interestingly, or frighteningly depending on which way you look at it, Onodera hasn’t made an appearance yet for the Lions this season.

He will potentially provide some backup for a depleted Tokyo bullpen that looks fragile without the presence of Tony Barnette and Kenichi Matsuoka.

Tony Barnette was removed from the active roster when he returned to the United States to mourn the death of his brother. Matsuoka was removed from the active roster due to inconsistency.

It should be interesting to see what Daisuke Araki, who was the pitching coach at Saitama before moving to Tokyo, can get out of his former charge.

UPDATED (15:00): The trade has officially gone through. But it’s not a cash trade, instead it’s a one-for-one player swap with Yuji Onizaki going to the Lions. The move strengthens the Swallows’ bullpen while clearing the team’s logjam at shortstop.

Yamagishi was drafted by Seibu in the 4th round of the 2004 draft out of Aoyama Gakuin University. Yamagishi had served as Aoyama’s ace for 2 years after Swallows’ veteran Masanori Ishikawa. He has been used almost exclusively as a reliever as a pro, with a high of 31 appearances in 2006. That year, Yamagishi managed to get 45 strikeouts in only 39 and 1/3 innings. Since then, Yamagishi’s chances with the main team decreased gradually and he only made 4 appearances each in the last 2 seasons. Yamagishi hasn’t made any appearances with the Lions this year, but he has made 9 starts with the farm team. In 36 innings of work Yamagishi has compiled a 2-5 record with 21 strikeouts, 21 walks, 51 hits allowed, and an ERA of 5.75. No word yet on how the Swallows intend to used Yamagishi.

Going to the Lions is the man once thought to be the heir apparent to the great Atsuya Furuta. Yoneno was drafted straight out of high school in 1999. After spending time at the farm and slowly getting more first team playing time, Yoneno became the main catcher for the Swallows in 2006 during Furuta’s first year as manager. In 2006, Yoneno played in 116 games and hit .235 (.285 OBP) with 7 home runs. In 2007, Yoneno was expected to be the Swallows’ starting catcher but struggles at the plate lead him to share playing time with Masakazu Fukukawa. Yoneno’s continued struggles, and the emergence of Ryohei Kawamoto, lead to Yoneno’s demotion to the farm team in July of 2007. Since then, Yoneno has been given limited opportunities with the Swallows, playing in only 27 games over the last 2 seasons. This year, Yoneno has only managed to appear in 5 games with the Swallows’ farm team.

Yet another trade for minor players, but hopefully both players will be able to capitalize on the opportunities afforded to them by their new clubs.

The Swallows were facing Lions’ starter Hsu, and all the scoring in the first 5 innings came by way of the solo homer. Kataoka led off the top of the 1st with a solo shot for 1-0 Saitama before the red-hot Aikawa evened things up in the 2nd (no.3 for the year) for 1-1. And the scores remained tied until the 5th when firstbaseman Hirao joined in the party with a homer of his own to put Seibu ahead 2-1.

The wheels started to fall off for Ishikawa in the 6th, as he gave up a double followed by two singles which put the scores at 3-1. That was it for Masanori as he was replaced by Ryo Kawashima from the bullpen, with men on first and second and no outs on the board. He got Takayama to hit into a double play which left a runner on third, a runner who eventually made it home from a GG Sato single which made it 4-1 Saitama.

Tokyo pulled two back in the 7th, with an Aikawa walk, a Miyamoto single being followed up by a sac bunt from Fujimoto, which set the table for pinch hitter Ueda who hit a two-run double to make it 4-3.

Only a single and a Hosokawa homerun off Oshimoto in the 8th put the lead back at three as the Lions made it 6-3.

The Swallows stranded two in the 8th before a late rally in the 9th. A two-run homer from Aaron Guiel (no.15 for 2010) pulled them back into touching distance of the Lions, but they would come up just short as the game ended 6-5 Saitama Final.

Ishikawa took his first loss since May 4th (since when he’s had a ND, ND, Win) to put his record at 1-7/4.29.

So then, that long overdue series win will have to wait, but the way the Swallows fought right to the last this afternoon perhaps wouldn’t have happened last month. Things are certainly moving in the right direction, and given the kind of season that it’s been so far, that’s a very good thing.

They’ll be facing the Chiba Lotte Marines at Jingu for two games starting tomorrow afternoon.

Tokyo struck first in the bottom of the 3rd, with Miyamoto reaching base via a walk, and after being moved around by a (excellent) Barnette sacbunt he was brought home to score with a Aoki double, 1-0 Tokyo.

But it was in the 5th when the Swallows would really make their mark on the game. Aikawa led off the inning with a double, and a groundout from Miyamoto put him at third, but he was out at home after another grounder from Fujimoto which left a man on first with two outs. And it was then that Tokyo inflicted their damage. Barnette singled to right to put men on the corners before Yakult were aided by a bit of Lions comedy. Aoki hit a fly ball to leftfield which was horribly, horribly misjudged by the Seibu leftfielder Brown, who let the ball bounce over his head as he jumped/flailed in vain, and then made a hash of handing the ball after he had chased it down. The error allowed two runs to score for 3-0, with Aoki now at second. Tanaka then singled to put men on the corners once more, this time for Guiel, and the Canadian drilled one over the fence in right (no.14 for the year) and it was 6-0 Tokyo. D’Antona did try to get in on the act with a double, but an Ihara groundout ended the inning with the lead still at six.

A Nakajima double and a Kuriyama single put Seibu on the board in the 6th for 6-1 and they made it 6-2 in the top of the 8th with a Brown solo homer (off Oshimoto), but the Swallows put an exclamation mark on their performance with another big inning in the 8th.

With reliver Taninaka on the mound, Aikawa got things started with a solo homer to left for 7-1. Walks for Miyamoto and Fujimoto saw Hoshino replace Taninaka on the mound, but the change made little difference to the Lions’ fortunes as he hit hit the pinch-hitting Takeuchi in the leg to load the bases with no-outs for Aoki.

He hit a single to left (8-2) before Tanaka put one up the middle (10-2) and finally Brown helped the cause again by making a mess of fielding a Guiel fly to left, but it was ruled a hit and Aaron had himself a double and Tokyo a 12-2 lead.

Lee made a complete hash of the 9th inning, with a walk, a single and a dead-ball setting the scene for a cameo appearance off the bench from fatty-boom-boom Nakamura who hit a grandslam to left that made it 12-6. Matsuoka was summoned to bring it home, and he did with two strikeouts for 12-6 Tokyo Final.

Barnette took the win for his 5 2/3 inning 6 hit, 6 K performance which put his record at 3-4/4.94.

Tokyo racked up 13 hits, with Aoki (.302), Guiel (.226) and Aikawa (.292!!) managing 3 each, and Tanaka (.280) 2. Those four were responsible for all of the team’s RBIs, with Guiel bringing home the lion’s share (5) of them (no pun intended).

Aikawa deserves special mention for his exploits with the bat in recent weeks. Maybe he just really hated Takada?

And the team as a whole also deserve praise as they’re starting to finally shake off the shackles of the Takada-era and starting to play more to their true level. There are a lot more smiles evident on both the field and the bench, not least on the face of Ogawa. It’s nice to see a real human leading the team after the blinking android that was Takada.

Maybe we’ll be able to celebrate our first series win since god knows when tomorrow afternoon as Seibu return to Jingu. Or maybe I’ve just cursed it. Sorry.