NEW YORK — Yankees-Orioles. Playoffs. Disputed home run to right field. Yankees win.Sound familiar?CC Sabathia and his New York teammates saw Nate McLouth's long drive called foul by the slimmest of margins — hello, Jeffrey Maier — and then hung on to beat Baltimore 3-1 Friday in the deciding Game 5 of the AL Division Series.With Alex Rodriguez benched, the Yankees advanced to the AL Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, starting Saturday night in the Bronx."It is still a long way to go," Sabathia said. "I still got hopefully three or four more starts. So the job is not done yet."Sabathia pitched a four-hitter, wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. It was his first complete game in 17 postseason starts, and the first for the Yankees since Roger Clemens did it in 2000.Yet it was another piece of history that this game evoked.The Orioles were in a foul mood, stung on a close play in right that echoed what happened across the street at the old Yankee Stadium in the 1996 ALCS opener, on a fly ball that still stirs emotions in Baltimore.This time, with the Orioles trailing 1-0 in the sixth, McLouth sent a 3-1 pitch deep down the right-field line. Eyes turned to right field umpire Fieldin Culbreth, who demonstrably waved foul with both arms.Baltimore manager Buck Showalter came out to ask for a video review, and most of the umpiring crew went down a tunnel to examine the images. When they ran back onto the field about two minutes later, they didn't make any signal — meaning the original call stood. McLouth struck out on the next pitch, ending the inning."I saw it go to the right of the pole," Culbreth said. "There is netting there and it didn't touch the netting. It did not change direction," he added, indicating he did not think the ball grazed the pole.Added crew chief Brian Gorman: "We saw the same thing on the replay. There was no evidence to overturn the decision."Showalter?Not sure."I couldn't tell. It was real close," he said.Back in 1996, the 12-year-old Maier reached over the wall above right fielder Tony Tarasco and deflected Derek Jeter's fly ball. Umpire Richie Garcia called it a home run, which tied the score 4-4 in the eighth inning, and the Yankees went on to win in the 11th.Sabathia defeated the Orioles for the second time in six days, Raul Ibanez hit a go-ahead single in the fifth off Jason Hammel and Ichiro Suzuki added an RBI double in the sixth in a 1-for-3 outing."I thought this would be a tiring series, but I didn't think that we were finished," said Ichiro. "Teams that give you trouble during the regular season give you trouble until the end. But in the end, we could close it out like this. The Orioles are really an incredible team."Curtis Granderson boosted the lead to 3-0 with a second-deck solo homer against Troy Patton in the seventh, and the Yankees advanced following their decision to bench the slumping Rodriguez, their $275 million third baseman.
Showing posts with label delivers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label delivers. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Pettitte delivers sharp effort as Yankees down Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — Andy Pettitte shrugged off another ageless performance by claiming he's still not as sharp as he wants to be.
Sweet sixteen: Detroit's Justin Verlander throws a pitch against Oakland on Monday. The Tigers won 6-2 to give Verlander his 16th win of the season. APThe New York Yankees are plenty pleased by the way he's been pitching.Pettitte threw six scoreless innings and the Yankees hit four home runs Monday to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 and extend their AL East lead."I'm happy to get through it, happy to give us a good start," Pettitte said, adding: "It's just there's definitely some room for me to improve."New York took a 1?-game edge over Baltimore, which split a doubleheader with Toronto. This is the first time since Sept. 2 their margin has been more than one game. According to STATS research, the 21-day stretch during which the Yankees and Orioles were separated by one game or less was the second-longest in Major League Baseball history, the most days since 1897."Right now I feel like everything is kind of rolling for us. It's real calm in here. It's relaxed. Guys are having a ton of fun," said Nick Swisher, who was the first to take Liam Hendriks (1-8) deep.After playing three tense, one-run games against Oakland during the weekend, including their startling comeback for a 14-inning win on Saturday, the Yankees enjoyed an easy one for a change. This was New York's 10th victory in 12 games.Pettitte (5-3) hasn't given up a run in 11 innings since rejoining the rotation last week. The 40-year-old threw five scoreless innings against Toronto to mark his comeback from a broken lower left leg that kept him out for almost three months.His successful unretirement, after supposedly ending his remarkable career in 2010, has been a big help for the banged-up Yankees even though this was only his 11th start of the season.Swisher's two-out, two-run homer in the first inning off Liam Hendriks (1-8) sailed into the seats above right-center field to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Curtis Granderson's solo shot in the fourth went even higher and farther, landing in the second deck. Granderson became the fourth player in the majors to hit 40 homers this season.In the bottom of that inning, Granderson made a postseason-worthy throw from center field after fielding a two-out single as Ryan Doumit raced from second base to home. The ball arrived just in time, and catcher Russell Martin made a quick sweep tag that grazed Doumit's shoulder a spilt-second before his hand touched the plate.Then in the seventh, Raul Ibanez — who is 7-for-12 with three homers in his last three games — went deep with a drive that reached the standing room space near the gate beyond right field.The Yankees started a favorable final stretch of the season, with Minnesota, Toronto and Boston left on the schedule, owners of three of the four worst records in the league.New York's Ichiro Suzuki was 1-for-5 and scored once.Orioles 4, Blue Jays 1 (1st)Blue Jays 9, Orioles 5 (2nd)In Baltimore, J.P. Arencibia broke open a tight game with a seventh-inning grand slam, and Toronto beat the O's to earn a doubleheader split.In the opener, Adam Jones went 4-for-4 with a homer to lead Baltimore. But the Orioles lost a half-game in the standings to the Yankees, who beat Minnesota.Rangers 5, Athletics 4In Arlington, Texas, Adrian Beltre singled home the winning run in the ninth and the Rangers rallied past Oakland, stretching their AL West lead over the Athletics to five games with nine to play.Beltre, whose 35th homer tied the score in the seventh, grounded a sharp single through the middle of the infield off Tyson Ross (2-11) in the ninth, bringing home pinch runner Craig Gentry.White Sox 5, Indians 4In Chicago, Adam Dunn homered twice, including a clutch three-run shot in the eighth inning, and the White Sox beat Cleveland to maintain their one-game lead in the AL Central.Tigers 6, Royals 2In Detroit, right-hander Justin Verlander breezed through eight innings and Prince Fielder hit a solo homer, helping the Tigers steady themselves with a win over Kansas City.Detroit remained one game behind Chicago in the AL Central.Verlander (16-8) had little trouble with the Royals, who knocked him around for eight runs and 12 hits last month.The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and nine hits this time, striking out eight without a walk. His ERA is 2.78.
Sweet sixteen: Detroit's Justin Verlander throws a pitch against Oakland on Monday. The Tigers won 6-2 to give Verlander his 16th win of the season. APThe New York Yankees are plenty pleased by the way he's been pitching.Pettitte threw six scoreless innings and the Yankees hit four home runs Monday to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 and extend their AL East lead."I'm happy to get through it, happy to give us a good start," Pettitte said, adding: "It's just there's definitely some room for me to improve."New York took a 1?-game edge over Baltimore, which split a doubleheader with Toronto. This is the first time since Sept. 2 their margin has been more than one game. According to STATS research, the 21-day stretch during which the Yankees and Orioles were separated by one game or less was the second-longest in Major League Baseball history, the most days since 1897."Right now I feel like everything is kind of rolling for us. It's real calm in here. It's relaxed. Guys are having a ton of fun," said Nick Swisher, who was the first to take Liam Hendriks (1-8) deep.After playing three tense, one-run games against Oakland during the weekend, including their startling comeback for a 14-inning win on Saturday, the Yankees enjoyed an easy one for a change. This was New York's 10th victory in 12 games.Pettitte (5-3) hasn't given up a run in 11 innings since rejoining the rotation last week. The 40-year-old threw five scoreless innings against Toronto to mark his comeback from a broken lower left leg that kept him out for almost three months.His successful unretirement, after supposedly ending his remarkable career in 2010, has been a big help for the banged-up Yankees even though this was only his 11th start of the season.Swisher's two-out, two-run homer in the first inning off Liam Hendriks (1-8) sailed into the seats above right-center field to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Curtis Granderson's solo shot in the fourth went even higher and farther, landing in the second deck. Granderson became the fourth player in the majors to hit 40 homers this season.In the bottom of that inning, Granderson made a postseason-worthy throw from center field after fielding a two-out single as Ryan Doumit raced from second base to home. The ball arrived just in time, and catcher Russell Martin made a quick sweep tag that grazed Doumit's shoulder a spilt-second before his hand touched the plate.Then in the seventh, Raul Ibanez — who is 7-for-12 with three homers in his last three games — went deep with a drive that reached the standing room space near the gate beyond right field.The Yankees started a favorable final stretch of the season, with Minnesota, Toronto and Boston left on the schedule, owners of three of the four worst records in the league.New York's Ichiro Suzuki was 1-for-5 and scored once.Orioles 4, Blue Jays 1 (1st)Blue Jays 9, Orioles 5 (2nd)In Baltimore, J.P. Arencibia broke open a tight game with a seventh-inning grand slam, and Toronto beat the O's to earn a doubleheader split.In the opener, Adam Jones went 4-for-4 with a homer to lead Baltimore. But the Orioles lost a half-game in the standings to the Yankees, who beat Minnesota.Rangers 5, Athletics 4In Arlington, Texas, Adrian Beltre singled home the winning run in the ninth and the Rangers rallied past Oakland, stretching their AL West lead over the Athletics to five games with nine to play.Beltre, whose 35th homer tied the score in the seventh, grounded a sharp single through the middle of the infield off Tyson Ross (2-11) in the ninth, bringing home pinch runner Craig Gentry.White Sox 5, Indians 4In Chicago, Adam Dunn homered twice, including a clutch three-run shot in the eighth inning, and the White Sox beat Cleveland to maintain their one-game lead in the AL Central.Tigers 6, Royals 2In Detroit, right-hander Justin Verlander breezed through eight innings and Prince Fielder hit a solo homer, helping the Tigers steady themselves with a win over Kansas City.Detroit remained one game behind Chicago in the AL Central.Verlander (16-8) had little trouble with the Royals, who knocked him around for eight runs and 12 hits last month.The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and nine hits this time, striking out eight without a walk. His ERA is 2.78.Thursday, September 6, 2012
'Sho Time' delivers Fighters past Eagles
The Hokkaido Nippon Fighters nearly broke through against Manabu Mima after a double by Sho Nakata in the sixth inning.
Coming through in the clutch: Fighters slugger Sho Nakata strokes a two-run double in the eighth inning against the Eagles on Tuesday at Tokyo Dome. Hokkaido Nippon Ham defeated Tohoku Rakuten 2-1. KYODOThat turned out to be just a dress rehearsal. In the eighth, however, it was "Sho Time."Nakata hit a go-ahead two-run double off Mima late in the game to help propel the Fighters to a 2-1 win over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Tuesday night at Tokyo Dome."I felt like it would be good to swing at the first pitch," Nakata said of his pivotal at-bat. "I'm really happy I could get a hit."The victory extended the Fighters' unbeaten streak to five."We're just taking it one game at a time and will keep doing our best," Nakata said.Mima had shut the Fighters out for 7 1/3 innings when pinch hitter Takahiro Imanami stepped to the plate. Imanami, hitting in place of Yuya Taniguchi, who ended the top of the eighth by nailing a runner at the plate from right field, singled into center and was replaced by pinch runner Kenji Sugiya.Haruki Nishikawa hit a sharp grounder near first base and an error by Jose Fernandez allowed him to advance to second while Sugiya went to third. Nakata then got on top of a slider, and the ball bounced over Shintaro Masuda at third and into the outfield, allowing both runners to score."Nishikawa had done his best, so I just wanted to get on base by any means," Nakata said.Eiichi Koyano singled into center to drive in an insurance run later in the inning.Closer Hisashi Takeda retired the side the ninth for his Pacific League-leading 23rd save of the season.Dustin Molleken (1-1), who joined the team in July, threw one-third of an inning to earn his first career NPB win in relief. Fighters starter Masaru Takeda threw 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball before leaving after twisting his left ankle in the eighth.Mima (7-7) was charged with the loss, his first in three starts, after allowing three runs — two earned — on eight hits. Mima struck out eight and walked two.The right-hander got almost no run support from the Eagles, with the team's lone run coming when Ryo Hijirisawa sent the third pitch of the game into the seats in right."It was good I could hit a home run in front of the fans who made the trip," Hijirisawa said, remarking that he doesn't hit for power often. The homer was his second of the season and first since July 29 against the Seibu Lions.Having been stymied for most of the night, the Fighters showed signs of life in the sixth, when Nakata reached down to stroke a low curveball into center field for a one-out double, bringing Atsunori Inaba, who entered the game with a .343 average with runners in scoring position, to the plate with a chance to do damage.The threat ended as suddenly as it began, as Mima struck out Inaba and the next batter, Koyano, to preserve the Eagles' slim advantage.The Rakuten offense nearly paid Mima back in the eighth.Motohiro Shima led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Yuya Ishii then entered the game and retired Hijirisawa before walking Ginji Akaminai. Fernandez lined a single into right and the third base coach sent Shima home, but Taniguchi scooped up the ball and made a strong throw to the plate, to nail the runner and end the inning.Hawks edge Lions Tokorozawa Saitama Pref. KYODOFukuoka Softbank's Kenji Akashi and Hitoshi Tamura hit back-to-back, two-out RBI singles in the 10th inning to make a winner out of starter Tadashi Settsu (14-5) who allowed three runs in nine innings. The Hawks defeated the Seibu Lions 5-3.Buffaloes 3, Marines 1At Kyocera Dome, Orix's Hiroshi Kisanuki (5-8) allowed a run in his fifth complete game of the season, holding Lotte to a run on four hits and sending Chiba Lotte to its fourth straight loss.CENTRAL LEAGUEBayStars 2, Swallows 1At Yokohama Stadium, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo drove in both of Yokohama's runs as the BayStars came from behind to beat Yakult and snap a three-game losing streak. Ace right-hander Daisuke Miura (9-7) allowed a run in eight innings, while Shun Yamaguchi recorded his 18th save.Dragons 10, Carp 2At Nagoya Dome, Chunichi's Tony Blanco homered twice and drove in five runs, and ace Kazuki Yoshimi (12-4) went the distance as the Dragons beat Hiroshima for the fifth straight time. Yoshimi moved into a tie for the league lead in wins.Giants 7, Tigers 3At Koshien Stadium, with the game tied 3-3 in the ninth inning, the Yomiuri bench delivered.Back-to-back, extra-base hits by Kenji Yano and pinch-hitter Yoshitomo Tani broke the tie and the Central League-leaders went on to beat Hanshin.
Coming through in the clutch: Fighters slugger Sho Nakata strokes a two-run double in the eighth inning against the Eagles on Tuesday at Tokyo Dome. Hokkaido Nippon Ham defeated Tohoku Rakuten 2-1. KYODOThat turned out to be just a dress rehearsal. In the eighth, however, it was "Sho Time."Nakata hit a go-ahead two-run double off Mima late in the game to help propel the Fighters to a 2-1 win over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Tuesday night at Tokyo Dome."I felt like it would be good to swing at the first pitch," Nakata said of his pivotal at-bat. "I'm really happy I could get a hit."The victory extended the Fighters' unbeaten streak to five."We're just taking it one game at a time and will keep doing our best," Nakata said.Mima had shut the Fighters out for 7 1/3 innings when pinch hitter Takahiro Imanami stepped to the plate. Imanami, hitting in place of Yuya Taniguchi, who ended the top of the eighth by nailing a runner at the plate from right field, singled into center and was replaced by pinch runner Kenji Sugiya.Haruki Nishikawa hit a sharp grounder near first base and an error by Jose Fernandez allowed him to advance to second while Sugiya went to third. Nakata then got on top of a slider, and the ball bounced over Shintaro Masuda at third and into the outfield, allowing both runners to score."Nishikawa had done his best, so I just wanted to get on base by any means," Nakata said.Eiichi Koyano singled into center to drive in an insurance run later in the inning.Closer Hisashi Takeda retired the side the ninth for his Pacific League-leading 23rd save of the season.Dustin Molleken (1-1), who joined the team in July, threw one-third of an inning to earn his first career NPB win in relief. Fighters starter Masaru Takeda threw 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball before leaving after twisting his left ankle in the eighth.Mima (7-7) was charged with the loss, his first in three starts, after allowing three runs — two earned — on eight hits. Mima struck out eight and walked two.The right-hander got almost no run support from the Eagles, with the team's lone run coming when Ryo Hijirisawa sent the third pitch of the game into the seats in right."It was good I could hit a home run in front of the fans who made the trip," Hijirisawa said, remarking that he doesn't hit for power often. The homer was his second of the season and first since July 29 against the Seibu Lions.Having been stymied for most of the night, the Fighters showed signs of life in the sixth, when Nakata reached down to stroke a low curveball into center field for a one-out double, bringing Atsunori Inaba, who entered the game with a .343 average with runners in scoring position, to the plate with a chance to do damage.The threat ended as suddenly as it began, as Mima struck out Inaba and the next batter, Koyano, to preserve the Eagles' slim advantage.The Rakuten offense nearly paid Mima back in the eighth.Motohiro Shima led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Yuya Ishii then entered the game and retired Hijirisawa before walking Ginji Akaminai. Fernandez lined a single into right and the third base coach sent Shima home, but Taniguchi scooped up the ball and made a strong throw to the plate, to nail the runner and end the inning.Hawks edge Lions Tokorozawa Saitama Pref. KYODOFukuoka Softbank's Kenji Akashi and Hitoshi Tamura hit back-to-back, two-out RBI singles in the 10th inning to make a winner out of starter Tadashi Settsu (14-5) who allowed three runs in nine innings. The Hawks defeated the Seibu Lions 5-3.Buffaloes 3, Marines 1At Kyocera Dome, Orix's Hiroshi Kisanuki (5-8) allowed a run in his fifth complete game of the season, holding Lotte to a run on four hits and sending Chiba Lotte to its fourth straight loss.CENTRAL LEAGUEBayStars 2, Swallows 1At Yokohama Stadium, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo drove in both of Yokohama's runs as the BayStars came from behind to beat Yakult and snap a three-game losing streak. Ace right-hander Daisuke Miura (9-7) allowed a run in eight innings, while Shun Yamaguchi recorded his 18th save.Dragons 10, Carp 2At Nagoya Dome, Chunichi's Tony Blanco homered twice and drove in five runs, and ace Kazuki Yoshimi (12-4) went the distance as the Dragons beat Hiroshima for the fifth straight time. Yoshimi moved into a tie for the league lead in wins.Giants 7, Tigers 3At Koshien Stadium, with the game tied 3-3 in the ninth inning, the Yomiuri bench delivered.Back-to-back, extra-base hits by Kenji Yano and pinch-hitter Yoshitomo Tani broke the tie and the Central League-leaders went on to beat Hanshin.Saturday, December 24, 2011
Takahashi delivers strong performance
KADOMA, Osaka Pref. — Daisuke Takahashi pumped his fists wildly in the air and then gave himself an emphatic round of applause.
Poetry in motion: Daisuke Takahashi skates during the men's short program at the national championships Friday in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture. Takahashi leads the field with 96.05 points. KYODOBoy did he deserve it.Takahashi nailed a quad toeloop-triple toeloop that has eluded him for so long in a dazzling performance, taking a commanding lead after the short program Friday at the national championships, a qualifier for the world championships in Nice, France, in March.Cutting a dashing figure in a shimmering black outfit, the former world champion, skating to "In the Garden of Souls," also nailed a triple axel and a triple lutz to earn 96.05 points and a thundering standing ovation atNamihaya Dome.Defending champion Takahiko Kozuka was more than 10 points back after scoring 85.60 for second place while Tatsuki Machida was third and 17-year-old Tohoku schoolboy Yuzuru Hanyu was fourth."I have surprised myself," said Takahashi, runnerup to world champion Patrick Chan at the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City earlier this month."It has been such a long time since I landed the quad that after I made it I kind of lost my sense of urgency.""Apart from the quad the rest of my skate wasn't as good as it has been this season," added Takahashi, who last made a quad toe-triple toe jump at the 2005 world championships in Moscow."Hopefully I can consistently land the quad. It is up to me to make the most of this from this point onward."Kozuka had a triple flip-triple toe and two more clean triples on the way to what he felt was his best performance of the season."I think I skated well and delivered a good performance," said Kozuka, who missed out on a place in the Grand Prix Final after finishing third at the season-opening Skate America and second at the NHK Trophy in Sapporo in November."I don't have any boot problems and my condition is good. For me it is more important to do the best I can rather than think about points."Machida scored 74.64 and Hanyu, fourth in his debut at the Grand Prix Final, scored 74.32. Nobunari Oda is missing the nationals as he continues to recover from an injured left knee.All eyes will be on Mao Asada in Saturday's women's short program. The 21-year-old star decided to compete here while still coming to terms with the recent death of her mother Kyoko, who passed away on Dec. 9 after a lengthy battle with liver cirrhosis.Grand Prix Final silver medalist Akiko Suzuki, teenage starlet Kanako Murakami and Haruka Imai are the other top contenders battling it out in the women's event for berths at the worlds.
Poetry in motion: Daisuke Takahashi skates during the men's short program at the national championships Friday in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture. Takahashi leads the field with 96.05 points. KYODOBoy did he deserve it.Takahashi nailed a quad toeloop-triple toeloop that has eluded him for so long in a dazzling performance, taking a commanding lead after the short program Friday at the national championships, a qualifier for the world championships in Nice, France, in March.Cutting a dashing figure in a shimmering black outfit, the former world champion, skating to "In the Garden of Souls," also nailed a triple axel and a triple lutz to earn 96.05 points and a thundering standing ovation atNamihaya Dome.Defending champion Takahiko Kozuka was more than 10 points back after scoring 85.60 for second place while Tatsuki Machida was third and 17-year-old Tohoku schoolboy Yuzuru Hanyu was fourth."I have surprised myself," said Takahashi, runnerup to world champion Patrick Chan at the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City earlier this month."It has been such a long time since I landed the quad that after I made it I kind of lost my sense of urgency.""Apart from the quad the rest of my skate wasn't as good as it has been this season," added Takahashi, who last made a quad toe-triple toe jump at the 2005 world championships in Moscow."Hopefully I can consistently land the quad. It is up to me to make the most of this from this point onward."Kozuka had a triple flip-triple toe and two more clean triples on the way to what he felt was his best performance of the season."I think I skated well and delivered a good performance," said Kozuka, who missed out on a place in the Grand Prix Final after finishing third at the season-opening Skate America and second at the NHK Trophy in Sapporo in November."I don't have any boot problems and my condition is good. For me it is more important to do the best I can rather than think about points."Machida scored 74.64 and Hanyu, fourth in his debut at the Grand Prix Final, scored 74.32. Nobunari Oda is missing the nationals as he continues to recover from an injured left knee.All eyes will be on Mao Asada in Saturday's women's short program. The 21-year-old star decided to compete here while still coming to terms with the recent death of her mother Kyoko, who passed away on Dec. 9 after a lengthy battle with liver cirrhosis.Grand Prix Final silver medalist Akiko Suzuki, teenage starlet Kanako Murakami and Haruka Imai are the other top contenders battling it out in the women's event for berths at the worlds.Sunday, April 24, 2011
Kokubo delivers game-winning single in ninth
KAGOSHIMA — Hiroki Kokubo made his first hit of the season an unforgettable one, roping a game-winning single in the ninth inning as the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks beat the Chiba Lotte Marines 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.
Look of determination: Lions southpaw Kazuhisa Ishii fires a pitch against the Buffaloes during Saturday's game. Seibu beat Orix 4-0. KYODO PHOTO
Kokubo, who was playing in his second game of the year after returning from a right-thumb injury he sustained in the season opener, hit a two-out single to deep center with runners at first and second, bringing home Yuichi Honda for the winning run at Kamoike Stadium.
"It feels like a dream to me, I'm exhilarated," said Kokubo after lifting Softbank to its third win in a row.
"My other four at-bats weren't very good, and since I was selected to start today, I felt a lot of responsibility. I am glad we got the win," the Hawks captain said.
"My first hit of the season become a memorable one," said Kokubo, who grounded out twice, flied out and struck out swinging in his other trips to the plate.
The Hawks' Seiichi Uchikawa continued his hot hitting, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs.
Saburo Omura hit a solo homer for Lotte.
The Marines scored two runs off Softbank closer Takahiro Mahara to tie it 4-4 in the top of the ninth, but couldn't seal the deal in front of 19,002.
Lions 4, Buffaloes 0
At Osaka's Kyocera Dome, Kazuhisa Ishii dominated over seven shutout innings, Takeya Nakamura and Jose Fernandez hit solo homers and Seibu stopped a five-game skid in a win against Orix.
Takumi Kuriyama broke up a pitchers' duel with a two-run double off Shinya Nakayama (0-2) with two outs in the seventh.
The Buffaloes, who mustered just four hits, lost their fourth in five games.
Eagles 4, Fighters 3
At Kobe's Hotto Motto Field, Randy Ruiz smacked a towering homer leading off the bottom of the ninth, giving Tohoku Rakuten a "sayonara" win over Hokkaido Nippon Ham.
Ruiz worked the count to 2-2, swinging for a strike on one slider and fighting off two more from Keisuke Tanimoto (0-1) before he launched the fourth one into the seats in left-center. Rookie Manabu Mima (1-1) got his first pro win.
The Fighters saw their winning streak end at five games.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Carp 6, Swallows 6 (9)
At Hiroshima's Mazda Stadium, Tokyo Yakult rallied from a five-run deficit to earn a tie against Hiroshima after the game ended in nine innings because of the power-saving rule implemented following the March 11 earthquake.
Swallows slugger Wladimir Balentien went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, featuring a game-tying solo blast with one out in the ninth.
BayStars at Tigers — ppd.
Look of determination: Lions southpaw Kazuhisa Ishii fires a pitch against the Buffaloes during Saturday's game. Seibu beat Orix 4-0. KYODO PHOTO
Kokubo, who was playing in his second game of the year after returning from a right-thumb injury he sustained in the season opener, hit a two-out single to deep center with runners at first and second, bringing home Yuichi Honda for the winning run at Kamoike Stadium.
"It feels like a dream to me, I'm exhilarated," said Kokubo after lifting Softbank to its third win in a row.
"My other four at-bats weren't very good, and since I was selected to start today, I felt a lot of responsibility. I am glad we got the win," the Hawks captain said.
"My first hit of the season become a memorable one," said Kokubo, who grounded out twice, flied out and struck out swinging in his other trips to the plate.
The Hawks' Seiichi Uchikawa continued his hot hitting, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs.
Saburo Omura hit a solo homer for Lotte.
The Marines scored two runs off Softbank closer Takahiro Mahara to tie it 4-4 in the top of the ninth, but couldn't seal the deal in front of 19,002.
Lions 4, Buffaloes 0
At Osaka's Kyocera Dome, Kazuhisa Ishii dominated over seven shutout innings, Takeya Nakamura and Jose Fernandez hit solo homers and Seibu stopped a five-game skid in a win against Orix.
Takumi Kuriyama broke up a pitchers' duel with a two-run double off Shinya Nakayama (0-2) with two outs in the seventh.
The Buffaloes, who mustered just four hits, lost their fourth in five games.
Eagles 4, Fighters 3
At Kobe's Hotto Motto Field, Randy Ruiz smacked a towering homer leading off the bottom of the ninth, giving Tohoku Rakuten a "sayonara" win over Hokkaido Nippon Ham.
Ruiz worked the count to 2-2, swinging for a strike on one slider and fighting off two more from Keisuke Tanimoto (0-1) before he launched the fourth one into the seats in left-center. Rookie Manabu Mima (1-1) got his first pro win.
The Fighters saw their winning streak end at five games.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Carp 6, Swallows 6 (9)
At Hiroshima's Mazda Stadium, Tokyo Yakult rallied from a five-run deficit to earn a tie against Hiroshima after the game ended in nine innings because of the power-saving rule implemented following the March 11 earthquake.
Swallows slugger Wladimir Balentien went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, featuring a game-tying solo blast with one out in the ninth.
BayStars at Tigers — ppd.
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