Give me some Mo: Fukuoka Softbank's Willy Mo Pena salutes the crowd after hitting a two-run double in the fourth inning on Monday. KYODOHe'll have a hard time forgetting this one.Pena hit a two-run double in the fourth inning, Seiichi Uchikawa added an insurance run in the eighth, and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks won the Pacific League Climax Series first stage with a 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions in Game 3 on Monday night at Seibu Dome."I was trying to help my team," Pena said. "In my first two games, I didn't get a hit. That's why I was trying to stay positive and just help our team."We've got to take the next step. We had to play these games first, and now we have to move on to the next stage and try to get back to the championship like we did last year."The defending Japan Series champions advanced to the final stage of the climax series with the win. They'll face the PL champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Sapporo for the right to represent the PL in the Japan Series."We played the way we played throughout the season," said Hawks infielder Yuichi Honda. "That will be the key for us, to play like that in Sapporo."Softbank will have to hit the ground running as the Fighters will have an automatic 1-0 advantage in the series as the league champions."We play one game at a time, and now we have advanced and can finally think of the next challenge," Hawks manager Koji Akiyama said. "That's how you have to operate in this business."Pena had been hitless in the first two games and, after a flyout to center in the second inning was 0-for-9 in the series before ripping his two-run double to left."I will thank the manager for the rest of my life," Pena said. "I told him it was going to be different. He believed in me and that's what happens when you believe in somebody. It will pay off."The Hawks were sitting pretty after Uchikawa made the score 3-1 with an RBI single in the top of the eighth."I'm so exhausted," Uchikawa said. "We were desperate to get another run, so I put all of my pent-up energy from this year into that hit. It was a huge hit for us."The Hawks may have given themselves some breathing room, but the Lions weren't going to let them off the hook that easily.With runners on first and second with two outs, PL home run leader Takeya Nakamura pounced on a slider from reliever Masahiko Morifuku and hit a ball toward the spot where his solo homer in the fourth cleared the wall.For a moment it looked as if Nakamura had turned the tide of the game with a go-ahead three-run home run, but Ryuma Kidokoro made the catch a few steps in front of the center-field wall to end the inning.Lions infielder, and former Hawks player, Jose Ortiz hit a solo shot off Hideki Okajima to lead off the ninth to cut the lead to one run. Okajima retired the next three batters to end the game."That one run really hurt us," Lions manager Hisanobu Watanabe said. "We wanted to prevent that. But our players went all out and played such a great game."In a short series, you can't give your opponent a run. We weren't good enough to come back from the deficit."Hiroyuki Nakajima finished 0-for-3 with a walk in what may have been his final game in a Lions uniform.Nakajima is expected to purse a career in the major leagues next season. The Lions shortstop was posted last year, but returned to Japan when contract negotiations with the New York Yankees fell apart. Nakajima, a career .302 hitter with 162 home runs and 738 RBIs in 11 professional seasons, is free to negotiate with any team of his choosing this time around.Hawks starter Kenji Otonari threw five innings of one-run ball to earn the win."As a starter, I should have been on the mound longer, but I'm relieved that I left with our team ahead," Otonari said.Reliever Sho Iwaski worked two scoreless innings and Morifuku survived his close call to keep Seibu off the board in the eighth. Okajima earned the save despite allowing a run.It was a short outing for Lions starter Kazuhisa Ishii, who entered the game 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 career postseason appearances.Ishii was charged with a pair of runs over 3? innings. He struck out two and walked one.Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.NAGOYA — The Chunichi Dragons' hopes of going to a third straight Japan Series remained alive Monday when they came from a run down in the eighth on a Tony Blanco grand slam to clinch the first stage of the Central League Climax Series.Trailing 1-0, Blanco slammed a 3-1 pitch from Tony Barnette with the bases loaded into the stands in left field and the Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows 4-1 to win the best-of-three first stage 2-1 and advance to the Climax Series final stage against the league champion Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome starting Wednesday.Barnette, who earned a two-inning save when the Swallows squared the series at 1-1 with a 1-0 victory on Sunday, came in with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he faced and threw three straight balls to Blanco.For the second time in the game, a 3-0 count with runners on was an invitation for the Dominican slugger to swing as hard as he could. He missed the first pitch from Barnette but got all of the second one."That was the best ball I've ever hit in my life," Blanco said in the on-field hero interview. "I went up with the intention of driving a pitch to the outfield to tie the game with a sacrifice fly."The Swallows took the lead in the second inning off 47-year-old Masahiro Yamamoto. Shinya Miyamoto singled to open the inning and stole second with one out on the first pitch to Ryoji Aikawa, who did the honors with a single to right. It was the fourth hit of the series for the Swallows catcher.The Swallows came within inches of a second score in the inning, but were denied by Dragons left fielder Kazuhiro Wada, who snared a two-out sinking liner in the web of his glove that would have plated Aikawa.Yakult lefty Kyohei Muranaka repeatedly pitched out of jams with a combination of good pitches, good luck and good fielding and allowed no runs in 5? innings.The Swallows survived a one-out, two-on jam in the sixth — when Golden Glove third baseman Shinya Miyamoto robbed Blanco with a diving snag of a low-flying rocket headed for the left-field corner. Katsuki Akagawa worked a 1-2-3 seventh but surrendered Yohei Oshima's ninth hit of the series to lead off the eighth.With one out and the tying run on second, Tetsuya Yamamoto walked the only batter he faced and Barnette, whose 33 saves tied for the CL lead, walked Wada to load the bases before falling behind to Blanco.Yamamoto took the loss, while Takuya Asao, who worked the final two innings for the Dragons, collected the win.
Showing posts with label comes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comes. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Pena comes good to send Hawks into next round
TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — Wily Mo Pena said he couldn't remember the last time he was in an elimination game.Give me some Mo: Fukuoka Softbank's Willy Mo Pena salutes the crowd after hitting a two-run double in the fourth inning on Monday. KYODOHe'll have a hard time forgetting this one.Pena hit a two-run double in the fourth inning, Seiichi Uchikawa added an insurance run in the eighth, and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks won the Pacific League Climax Series first stage with a 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions in Game 3 on Monday night at Seibu Dome."I was trying to help my team," Pena said. "In my first two games, I didn't get a hit. That's why I was trying to stay positive and just help our team."We've got to take the next step. We had to play these games first, and now we have to move on to the next stage and try to get back to the championship like we did last year."The defending Japan Series champions advanced to the final stage of the climax series with the win. They'll face the PL champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Sapporo for the right to represent the PL in the Japan Series."We played the way we played throughout the season," said Hawks infielder Yuichi Honda. "That will be the key for us, to play like that in Sapporo."Softbank will have to hit the ground running as the Fighters will have an automatic 1-0 advantage in the series as the league champions."We play one game at a time, and now we have advanced and can finally think of the next challenge," Hawks manager Koji Akiyama said. "That's how you have to operate in this business."Pena had been hitless in the first two games and, after a flyout to center in the second inning was 0-for-9 in the series before ripping his two-run double to left."I will thank the manager for the rest of my life," Pena said. "I told him it was going to be different. He believed in me and that's what happens when you believe in somebody. It will pay off."The Hawks were sitting pretty after Uchikawa made the score 3-1 with an RBI single in the top of the eighth."I'm so exhausted," Uchikawa said. "We were desperate to get another run, so I put all of my pent-up energy from this year into that hit. It was a huge hit for us."The Hawks may have given themselves some breathing room, but the Lions weren't going to let them off the hook that easily.With runners on first and second with two outs, PL home run leader Takeya Nakamura pounced on a slider from reliever Masahiko Morifuku and hit a ball toward the spot where his solo homer in the fourth cleared the wall.For a moment it looked as if Nakamura had turned the tide of the game with a go-ahead three-run home run, but Ryuma Kidokoro made the catch a few steps in front of the center-field wall to end the inning.Lions infielder, and former Hawks player, Jose Ortiz hit a solo shot off Hideki Okajima to lead off the ninth to cut the lead to one run. Okajima retired the next three batters to end the game."That one run really hurt us," Lions manager Hisanobu Watanabe said. "We wanted to prevent that. But our players went all out and played such a great game."In a short series, you can't give your opponent a run. We weren't good enough to come back from the deficit."Hiroyuki Nakajima finished 0-for-3 with a walk in what may have been his final game in a Lions uniform.Nakajima is expected to purse a career in the major leagues next season. The Lions shortstop was posted last year, but returned to Japan when contract negotiations with the New York Yankees fell apart. Nakajima, a career .302 hitter with 162 home runs and 738 RBIs in 11 professional seasons, is free to negotiate with any team of his choosing this time around.Hawks starter Kenji Otonari threw five innings of one-run ball to earn the win."As a starter, I should have been on the mound longer, but I'm relieved that I left with our team ahead," Otonari said.Reliever Sho Iwaski worked two scoreless innings and Morifuku survived his close call to keep Seibu off the board in the eighth. Okajima earned the save despite allowing a run.It was a short outing for Lions starter Kazuhisa Ishii, who entered the game 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 career postseason appearances.Ishii was charged with a pair of runs over 3? innings. He struck out two and walked one.Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.NAGOYA — The Chunichi Dragons' hopes of going to a third straight Japan Series remained alive Monday when they came from a run down in the eighth on a Tony Blanco grand slam to clinch the first stage of the Central League Climax Series.Trailing 1-0, Blanco slammed a 3-1 pitch from Tony Barnette with the bases loaded into the stands in left field and the Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows 4-1 to win the best-of-three first stage 2-1 and advance to the Climax Series final stage against the league champion Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome starting Wednesday.Barnette, who earned a two-inning save when the Swallows squared the series at 1-1 with a 1-0 victory on Sunday, came in with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he faced and threw three straight balls to Blanco.For the second time in the game, a 3-0 count with runners on was an invitation for the Dominican slugger to swing as hard as he could. He missed the first pitch from Barnette but got all of the second one."That was the best ball I've ever hit in my life," Blanco said in the on-field hero interview. "I went up with the intention of driving a pitch to the outfield to tie the game with a sacrifice fly."The Swallows took the lead in the second inning off 47-year-old Masahiro Yamamoto. Shinya Miyamoto singled to open the inning and stole second with one out on the first pitch to Ryoji Aikawa, who did the honors with a single to right. It was the fourth hit of the series for the Swallows catcher.The Swallows came within inches of a second score in the inning, but were denied by Dragons left fielder Kazuhiro Wada, who snared a two-out sinking liner in the web of his glove that would have plated Aikawa.Yakult lefty Kyohei Muranaka repeatedly pitched out of jams with a combination of good pitches, good luck and good fielding and allowed no runs in 5? innings.The Swallows survived a one-out, two-on jam in the sixth — when Golden Glove third baseman Shinya Miyamoto robbed Blanco with a diving snag of a low-flying rocket headed for the left-field corner. Katsuki Akagawa worked a 1-2-3 seventh but surrendered Yohei Oshima's ninth hit of the series to lead off the eighth.With one out and the tying run on second, Tetsuya Yamamoto walked the only batter he faced and Barnette, whose 33 saves tied for the CL lead, walked Wada to load the bases before falling behind to Blanco.Yamamoto took the loss, while Takuya Asao, who worked the final two innings for the Dragons, collected the win.
Give me some Mo: Fukuoka Softbank's Willy Mo Pena salutes the crowd after hitting a two-run double in the fourth inning on Monday. KYODOHe'll have a hard time forgetting this one.Pena hit a two-run double in the fourth inning, Seiichi Uchikawa added an insurance run in the eighth, and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks won the Pacific League Climax Series first stage with a 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions in Game 3 on Monday night at Seibu Dome."I was trying to help my team," Pena said. "In my first two games, I didn't get a hit. That's why I was trying to stay positive and just help our team."We've got to take the next step. We had to play these games first, and now we have to move on to the next stage and try to get back to the championship like we did last year."The defending Japan Series champions advanced to the final stage of the climax series with the win. They'll face the PL champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Sapporo for the right to represent the PL in the Japan Series."We played the way we played throughout the season," said Hawks infielder Yuichi Honda. "That will be the key for us, to play like that in Sapporo."Softbank will have to hit the ground running as the Fighters will have an automatic 1-0 advantage in the series as the league champions."We play one game at a time, and now we have advanced and can finally think of the next challenge," Hawks manager Koji Akiyama said. "That's how you have to operate in this business."Pena had been hitless in the first two games and, after a flyout to center in the second inning was 0-for-9 in the series before ripping his two-run double to left."I will thank the manager for the rest of my life," Pena said. "I told him it was going to be different. He believed in me and that's what happens when you believe in somebody. It will pay off."The Hawks were sitting pretty after Uchikawa made the score 3-1 with an RBI single in the top of the eighth."I'm so exhausted," Uchikawa said. "We were desperate to get another run, so I put all of my pent-up energy from this year into that hit. It was a huge hit for us."The Hawks may have given themselves some breathing room, but the Lions weren't going to let them off the hook that easily.With runners on first and second with two outs, PL home run leader Takeya Nakamura pounced on a slider from reliever Masahiko Morifuku and hit a ball toward the spot where his solo homer in the fourth cleared the wall.For a moment it looked as if Nakamura had turned the tide of the game with a go-ahead three-run home run, but Ryuma Kidokoro made the catch a few steps in front of the center-field wall to end the inning.Lions infielder, and former Hawks player, Jose Ortiz hit a solo shot off Hideki Okajima to lead off the ninth to cut the lead to one run. Okajima retired the next three batters to end the game."That one run really hurt us," Lions manager Hisanobu Watanabe said. "We wanted to prevent that. But our players went all out and played such a great game."In a short series, you can't give your opponent a run. We weren't good enough to come back from the deficit."Hiroyuki Nakajima finished 0-for-3 with a walk in what may have been his final game in a Lions uniform.Nakajima is expected to purse a career in the major leagues next season. The Lions shortstop was posted last year, but returned to Japan when contract negotiations with the New York Yankees fell apart. Nakajima, a career .302 hitter with 162 home runs and 738 RBIs in 11 professional seasons, is free to negotiate with any team of his choosing this time around.Hawks starter Kenji Otonari threw five innings of one-run ball to earn the win."As a starter, I should have been on the mound longer, but I'm relieved that I left with our team ahead," Otonari said.Reliever Sho Iwaski worked two scoreless innings and Morifuku survived his close call to keep Seibu off the board in the eighth. Okajima earned the save despite allowing a run.It was a short outing for Lions starter Kazuhisa Ishii, who entered the game 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 career postseason appearances.Ishii was charged with a pair of runs over 3? innings. He struck out two and walked one.Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.NAGOYA — The Chunichi Dragons' hopes of going to a third straight Japan Series remained alive Monday when they came from a run down in the eighth on a Tony Blanco grand slam to clinch the first stage of the Central League Climax Series.Trailing 1-0, Blanco slammed a 3-1 pitch from Tony Barnette with the bases loaded into the stands in left field and the Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows 4-1 to win the best-of-three first stage 2-1 and advance to the Climax Series final stage against the league champion Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome starting Wednesday.Barnette, who earned a two-inning save when the Swallows squared the series at 1-1 with a 1-0 victory on Sunday, came in with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he faced and threw three straight balls to Blanco.For the second time in the game, a 3-0 count with runners on was an invitation for the Dominican slugger to swing as hard as he could. He missed the first pitch from Barnette but got all of the second one."That was the best ball I've ever hit in my life," Blanco said in the on-field hero interview. "I went up with the intention of driving a pitch to the outfield to tie the game with a sacrifice fly."The Swallows took the lead in the second inning off 47-year-old Masahiro Yamamoto. Shinya Miyamoto singled to open the inning and stole second with one out on the first pitch to Ryoji Aikawa, who did the honors with a single to right. It was the fourth hit of the series for the Swallows catcher.The Swallows came within inches of a second score in the inning, but were denied by Dragons left fielder Kazuhiro Wada, who snared a two-out sinking liner in the web of his glove that would have plated Aikawa.Yakult lefty Kyohei Muranaka repeatedly pitched out of jams with a combination of good pitches, good luck and good fielding and allowed no runs in 5? innings.The Swallows survived a one-out, two-on jam in the sixth — when Golden Glove third baseman Shinya Miyamoto robbed Blanco with a diving snag of a low-flying rocket headed for the left-field corner. Katsuki Akagawa worked a 1-2-3 seventh but surrendered Yohei Oshima's ninth hit of the series to lead off the eighth.With one out and the tying run on second, Tetsuya Yamamoto walked the only batter he faced and Barnette, whose 33 saves tied for the CL lead, walked Wada to load the bases before falling behind to Blanco.Yamamoto took the loss, while Takuya Asao, who worked the final two innings for the Dragons, collected the win.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Jay comes through late for Cardinals
LOS ANGELES — Jon Jay was having a miserable time at the plate until the 12th inning, when he hit a clutch RBI double that made he and his teammates forget all the ugly at-bats that preceded it.
Birds of a feather: John Jay doubles against the Dodgers in the 12th inning on Sunday in Los Angeles. APThe go-ahead hit sparked a three-run rally for the St. Louis Cardinals, who earned a split of their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-2 victory Sunday and regained undisputed possession of the second NL wild-card spot."It was a long one and both teams fought hard," Jay said after the 4-hour, 25-minute marathon. "Everyone knows what's at stake right now and we've got our work cut out for us."We haven't been playing too well lately, but we've been playing hard. Today we came up with a win on getaway day and it put us back up again. That's huge. But every game from here on out is our most important game. We've been there before, so we know what we've got to do. It's just a matter of doing it."John Ely (0-2), the ninth of a franchise-record 10 pitchers used by Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, issued a leadoff walk to Matt Carpenter and Jay drove him in from second base with a line drive into the right field corner on an 0-2 changeup."Jon had an uncharacteristic day for himself up to that point, but he's been very good this season and filled a big hole for us in the leadoff spot. And today he came through with one of the biggest hits of our year right now," manager Mike Matheny said. "We had a tough time today. You look at that scoreboard and all those Ks, I mean, we had a lot of strikeouts (15), so we just needed somebody to step up."Braves 5, Nationals 1In Atlanta, Mike Minor pitched six strong innings, Dan Uggla broke it open with a two-run single and Gio Gonzalez was denied his 20th win as the Braves completed a three-game sweep.Diamondbacks 10, Giants 2In Phoenix, rookie Patrick Corbin pitched a career-long eight innings and drove in four runs with a triple and single.The RBIs and the extra-base hit were firsts for Corbin, who entered the game batting .071 (2 for 28).Justin Upton had a solo homer and two-run double as the Diamondbacks averted a three-game Giants sweep.Cubs 13, Pirates 9In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs and drove in six.Rizzo hit a two-run shot in a four-run fifth inning, then capped a five-run sixth with his first career grand slam to seize the lead for Chicago. The six RBIs are a career-high, and it was also the 23-year-old's first multihomer game in the majors.Reds 5, Marlins 4 (11)In Miami, Ryan Ludwick hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning to lift Cincinnati to a win.Ludwick, Dioner Navarro, and Didi Gregorius each had three hits for the Reds, who tied a season high with 17 hits.Astros 7, Phillies 6In Houston, Justin Maxwell hit a two-run double and Matt Dominguez added a two-run single in the Astros' four-run seventh inning.Brewers 3, Mets 0In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit two home runs and rookie pitcher Wily Peralta gave up two singles in eight innings.Brewers outfielder Norichika Aoki finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk.Padres 12, Rockies 11In San Diego, rookie Yonder Alonso singled in the winning run in the ninth to cap a wild offensive affair.
Birds of a feather: John Jay doubles against the Dodgers in the 12th inning on Sunday in Los Angeles. APThe go-ahead hit sparked a three-run rally for the St. Louis Cardinals, who earned a split of their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-2 victory Sunday and regained undisputed possession of the second NL wild-card spot."It was a long one and both teams fought hard," Jay said after the 4-hour, 25-minute marathon. "Everyone knows what's at stake right now and we've got our work cut out for us."We haven't been playing too well lately, but we've been playing hard. Today we came up with a win on getaway day and it put us back up again. That's huge. But every game from here on out is our most important game. We've been there before, so we know what we've got to do. It's just a matter of doing it."John Ely (0-2), the ninth of a franchise-record 10 pitchers used by Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, issued a leadoff walk to Matt Carpenter and Jay drove him in from second base with a line drive into the right field corner on an 0-2 changeup."Jon had an uncharacteristic day for himself up to that point, but he's been very good this season and filled a big hole for us in the leadoff spot. And today he came through with one of the biggest hits of our year right now," manager Mike Matheny said. "We had a tough time today. You look at that scoreboard and all those Ks, I mean, we had a lot of strikeouts (15), so we just needed somebody to step up."Braves 5, Nationals 1In Atlanta, Mike Minor pitched six strong innings, Dan Uggla broke it open with a two-run single and Gio Gonzalez was denied his 20th win as the Braves completed a three-game sweep.Diamondbacks 10, Giants 2In Phoenix, rookie Patrick Corbin pitched a career-long eight innings and drove in four runs with a triple and single.The RBIs and the extra-base hit were firsts for Corbin, who entered the game batting .071 (2 for 28).Justin Upton had a solo homer and two-run double as the Diamondbacks averted a three-game Giants sweep.Cubs 13, Pirates 9In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs and drove in six.Rizzo hit a two-run shot in a four-run fifth inning, then capped a five-run sixth with his first career grand slam to seize the lead for Chicago. The six RBIs are a career-high, and it was also the 23-year-old's first multihomer game in the majors.Reds 5, Marlins 4 (11)In Miami, Ryan Ludwick hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning to lift Cincinnati to a win.Ludwick, Dioner Navarro, and Didi Gregorius each had three hits for the Reds, who tied a season high with 17 hits.Astros 7, Phillies 6In Houston, Justin Maxwell hit a two-run double and Matt Dominguez added a two-run single in the Astros' four-run seventh inning.Brewers 3, Mets 0In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit two home runs and rookie pitcher Wily Peralta gave up two singles in eight innings.Brewers outfielder Norichika Aoki finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk.Padres 12, Rockies 11In San Diego, rookie Yonder Alonso singled in the winning run in the ninth to cap a wild offensive affair.Monday, September 3, 2012
Fighters' Nakamura comes out on top against Hawks
FUKUOKA — Right-hander Masaru Nakamura allowed a run in seven innings on Sunday to win for the first time in two seasons as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters came back to beat the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 2-1.
Fight the good fight: Hokkaido Nippon Ham starter Masaru Nakamura pitches during the Fighters' 2-1 win over the Hawks on Sunday. KYODONakamura (1-0) outdueled hard-throwing teenager Shota Takeda. Takeda (4-1), the Hawks' top pick last autumn, worked six innings at Yahoo Dome and surrendered a two-run homer in the fourth to Sho Nakata as he fell to his first defeat as a pro.The Hawks, who had scored just one run in each of their previous four games, matched that in the first inning, when Yuichi Honda singled, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by Wily Mo Pena.But Nakamura, who effectively mixed an arsenal of solid breaking pitches with a well-located 135-kph fastball, kept the hosts off balance all afternoon. The 20-year-old, who was the Fighters' top draft pick in 2009, allowed four singles and a walk, while striking out six.The victory was his first since he won his Pacific League debut on Aug. 11, 2010."It certainly has taken a long time (between wins)," said Nakamura. "But in the meantime, I have developed, as one can see by how much my command has improved."The Hawks managed to put two on with two outs against Hirotoshi Masui in the eighth, and Hisashi Takeda in the ninth, but failed to push across another run.Buffaloes 0, Eagles 0 (11)At Kleenex Stadium, Tohoku Rakuten ace Masahiro Tanaka threw 10 scoreless innings for the second straight game, but this time came up empty as the Eagles played Orix to a scoreless tie in 11 innings.Tanaka, who allowed six hits, while striking out 11 and walking none, was followed by Koji Aoyama, who threw a scoreless 11th. Rookie southpaw Tomoyuki Kaida threw seven innings in his first career start, and three Buffaloes relievers finished the double whitewash.Lions 2, Marines 1At Seibu Dome, Naoya Masuda (1-2) threw a wild pitch that scored the tiebreaking run from third with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Seibu past Chiba Lotte for its third win in a row.Esteban German doubled for his third hit of the night, reached third on a sacrifice bunt and came home on Masuda's errant pitch. Randy Williams (2-2) escaped a two-on jam in a scoreless eighth and Hideaki Wakui picked up his 21st save.CENTRAL LEAGUEGiants 2, BayStars 1At Tokyo Dome, Shuichi Murata broke a 1-1 tie with an eighth-inning homer and drove in both of Yomiuri's runs against his former team as the Giants beat Yokohama to become the first team this season with 70 wins. Yomiuri is 8? games ahead of second-place Chunichi.Murata unlocked a scoreless pitchers' duel with his second hit of the game, an RBI single off Kisho Kagami (2-3), who went the distance for the BayStars. Giants right-hander Ryosuke Miyaguni worked seven scoreless innings, but lefty Tetsuya Yamaguchi (3-2) blew the lead in the top of the eighth.Swallows 1, Dragons 0At Jingu Stadium, pinch hitter Kazuki Fukuchi broke a scoreless deadlock with a two-out walk-off RBI double off Shinji Tajima (4-3) in the ninth inning as Tokyo Yakult defeated Chunichi.Lefty Kyohei Muranaka (8-5) threw a complete-game shutout, striking out two and walking three. Chunichi is winless in its last four games, including one tie.Tigers 3, Carp 1 (11)At Koshien Stadium, Ryota Arai saved the night with a game-ending two-run homer off Takeru Imamura (1-2) with two outs in the 11th inning, giving Hanshin a win over Hiroshima.Ryota, the younger brother of the more well-known Takahiro, hit his 10th home run of the season for a career best. Akihiro Higashide opened the scoring with a run-scoring single in the second inning, but Tomoaki Kanemoto tied it with an RBI single in the fifth.
Fight the good fight: Hokkaido Nippon Ham starter Masaru Nakamura pitches during the Fighters' 2-1 win over the Hawks on Sunday. KYODONakamura (1-0) outdueled hard-throwing teenager Shota Takeda. Takeda (4-1), the Hawks' top pick last autumn, worked six innings at Yahoo Dome and surrendered a two-run homer in the fourth to Sho Nakata as he fell to his first defeat as a pro.The Hawks, who had scored just one run in each of their previous four games, matched that in the first inning, when Yuichi Honda singled, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by Wily Mo Pena.But Nakamura, who effectively mixed an arsenal of solid breaking pitches with a well-located 135-kph fastball, kept the hosts off balance all afternoon. The 20-year-old, who was the Fighters' top draft pick in 2009, allowed four singles and a walk, while striking out six.The victory was his first since he won his Pacific League debut on Aug. 11, 2010."It certainly has taken a long time (between wins)," said Nakamura. "But in the meantime, I have developed, as one can see by how much my command has improved."The Hawks managed to put two on with two outs against Hirotoshi Masui in the eighth, and Hisashi Takeda in the ninth, but failed to push across another run.Buffaloes 0, Eagles 0 (11)At Kleenex Stadium, Tohoku Rakuten ace Masahiro Tanaka threw 10 scoreless innings for the second straight game, but this time came up empty as the Eagles played Orix to a scoreless tie in 11 innings.Tanaka, who allowed six hits, while striking out 11 and walking none, was followed by Koji Aoyama, who threw a scoreless 11th. Rookie southpaw Tomoyuki Kaida threw seven innings in his first career start, and three Buffaloes relievers finished the double whitewash.Lions 2, Marines 1At Seibu Dome, Naoya Masuda (1-2) threw a wild pitch that scored the tiebreaking run from third with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Seibu past Chiba Lotte for its third win in a row.Esteban German doubled for his third hit of the night, reached third on a sacrifice bunt and came home on Masuda's errant pitch. Randy Williams (2-2) escaped a two-on jam in a scoreless eighth and Hideaki Wakui picked up his 21st save.CENTRAL LEAGUEGiants 2, BayStars 1At Tokyo Dome, Shuichi Murata broke a 1-1 tie with an eighth-inning homer and drove in both of Yomiuri's runs against his former team as the Giants beat Yokohama to become the first team this season with 70 wins. Yomiuri is 8? games ahead of second-place Chunichi.Murata unlocked a scoreless pitchers' duel with his second hit of the game, an RBI single off Kisho Kagami (2-3), who went the distance for the BayStars. Giants right-hander Ryosuke Miyaguni worked seven scoreless innings, but lefty Tetsuya Yamaguchi (3-2) blew the lead in the top of the eighth.Swallows 1, Dragons 0At Jingu Stadium, pinch hitter Kazuki Fukuchi broke a scoreless deadlock with a two-out walk-off RBI double off Shinji Tajima (4-3) in the ninth inning as Tokyo Yakult defeated Chunichi.Lefty Kyohei Muranaka (8-5) threw a complete-game shutout, striking out two and walking three. Chunichi is winless in its last four games, including one tie.Tigers 3, Carp 1 (11)At Koshien Stadium, Ryota Arai saved the night with a game-ending two-run homer off Takeru Imamura (1-2) with two outs in the 11th inning, giving Hanshin a win over Hiroshima.Ryota, the younger brother of the more well-known Takahiro, hit his 10th home run of the season for a career best. Akihiro Higashide opened the scoring with a run-scoring single in the second inning, but Tomoaki Kanemoto tied it with an RBI single in the fifth.Saturday, June 2, 2012
Isner comes up short in marathon match with Mathieu
Right back at you: Paul-Henri Mathieu hits a shot to John Isner during their match at the French Open on Thursday. Mathieu won 6-7(2-7), 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16. APPARIS — This, then, is who John Isner is for now: The Marathon Man of Tennis, the guy who plays and plays and plays, for hours on end, until the last set seems interminable.At Wimbledon two years ago, he won 70-68 in the fifth, the longest set and match in tennis history. At Roland Garros on Thursday, as afternoon gave way to evening, the 10th-seeded American lost 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16 to Paul-Henri Mathieu of France in the second round, a 5-hour, 41-minute test of stamina and attention span.This one goes in the books as the second-longest match, by time, in French Open history."I just didn't get it done. I felt like I got caught in patterns that weren't ideal for me," said a somber Isner. "I wasn't going for my shots at certain points in the match, and that comes from a little bit of a lack of confidence."If Isner is going to become more than a novelty act, he needs to win encounters like Thursday's, and not because of the duration but because it was a first-week Grand Slam match against a player ranked 261st who got into the field thanks to a wild-card invitation from the tournament.After finally converting his seventh match point — Isner never had one — an emotional Mathieu thanked the partisan crowd in the main stadium for willing him to victory. Their sing-song choruses of "Po-lo! Po-lo!" — the French equivalent of "Paulie" — and roars of approval rang out after pretty much every point he won down the stretch."I dug deep," said the 30-year-old Mathieu, who hadn't played in a major tournament since the 2010 U.S. Open because of a left-knee injury that forced him off tour all of last year. "I was away from the courts for quite a while, and I came back to live moments like this."He helped provide easily the most intrigue on a day that featured straight-set wins for defending champions Rafael Nadal and Li Na.About 10 hours earlier in that stadium, it appeared a man seeded even higher than Isner would be on his way out of the tournament: No. 4 Andy Murray's back was so painful he could barely move, let alone play tennis at the level required to win a Grand Slam match.Or so it seemed.For the better part of an hour, the three-time major finalist looked downright miserable. He grimaced. He clutched at the small of his back. He contorted his body. He stepped gingerly, as though barefoot on a hot day at the beach. He tapped in serves at speeds so slow they'd be OK while driving on a highway. He considered quitting."Just kind of gritting my teeth," Murray said, "and (trying) to find a way of turning the match around, because I was a few points, probably, from stopping."And then, thanks in large part to a couple of massages from a trainer, Murray began to feel better. It helped, too, that his opponent, 48th-ranked Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, was incapable of taking advantage of Murray's nearly incapacitated state. So Murray managed to come back to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and reach the third round at Roland Garros for the fifth consecutive year.What's unclear, even to Murray, is how his back will be for his next match."I have no idea what will happen in two days," said Murray."But if it's something like a spasm, it's not like you're doing major damage. You know, it's just a really, really tight muscle."The 25-year-old from Scotland had been dealing with a bad back for months. It forced him to pull out of the Madrid Open in early May.But Murray insisted that Thursday's problem was different — although might have been related, because he might have bothered a muscle by compensating for the earlier injury."It was his fault for letting me back into the match, because I didn't do anything special," Murray said. "I just tried to put some balls back in."Nieminen agreed, saying: "I feel like I had him. . . . It's not often that somebody looks that bad and can keep going."But Murray did trudge on, putting in serves at 110 kph or so, and taking big cuts at returns to try to end points then and there, until he could swing more freely.Monday, January 23, 2012
Clijsters shrugs off injury, comes back from brink to beat Li
MELBOURNE, Australia — Down four match points and hobbling on an ankle injury, defending champion Kim Clijsters somehow rallied for a dramatic 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Li Na at the Australian Open on Sunday.Clijsters was in pain from the left ankle she twisted in the seventh game. Li was just a bundle of nerves. The French Open champion failed to serve out the fourth-round match at 5-4 in the second set, but then led 6-2 in the tiebreaker. Again Clijsters refused to yield."I said in my mind, keep fighting," Clijsters said. "You never know what happens on the other side of the court."Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer stayed on course for a semifinal meeting in matches either side of Clijsters' win at Rod Laver Arena. Federer ended the run of Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, while Nadal won in straight sets too, beating fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki ended the day's play with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Jelena Jankovic and will next play Clijsters, the most unlikely winner of the day.Li's best chance to clinch victory — and gain revenge for her three-set loss to Clijsters in last year's final — came on her fourth match point.Clijsters played a poor drop shot, giving her opponent the chance to put the ball into the open court. Instead, Li tentatively hit the ball almost straight back to Clijsters, who sent up a perfect lob that dropped just inside the baseline."Of course I was nervous," Li said. "If you're nervous, you could not think too much, right?"Clijsters won six straight points to take the tiebreaker and the first four games of the deciding set."I'm not saying that that forehand drop shot was a good choice, but you make decisions. Luckily, that one turned out OK," Clijsters said. "I think she was a little bit lost or maybe a little bit confused at that time."Clijsters then overcame a wobble of her own, losing her serve at 5-2 in the third set, before finally closing out the fourth-round match on her second match point.Li broke down in tears at the end of her post-match news conference."Maybe 6-2 up in the tiebreak I was a little bit shocking," she said.Clijsters was hurt in the first set while serving at 3-all and 30-all. As she hit a forehand, her left foot got stuck on the surface and the ankle twisted awkwardly.She got up to finish the point but then immediately called for the trainer and had the injury strapped.Clijsters' movement was clearly slowed when she resumed but, playing in her last Australian Open before quitting tennis at the end of the season, she said she didn't want to bow out in Melbourne with a retirement."I knew if I could just try to let the medication sink in or if I could get through the first 20 minutes, half hour, I think the pain would go away a little bit and then maybe with the adrenaline I could just fly through it."Federer hasn't lost to a teenager since 2006 and that run continued Sunday as he disappointed the home crowd with a comprehensive win over the 19-year-old Tomic.Tomic had beaten seeded players Fernando Verdasco and Alexandr Dolgopolov in earlier rounds, but Federer was a step up in class. The 16-time Grand Slam champion broke six times as he set up a quarterfinal against 11th-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro."I thought I played a really good match," said Federer, through to his 31st straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. "I knew I had to. Anything else wouldn't have done the job tonight."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Nishikori comes up short in final
HOUSTON (AP) Ryan Sweeting made sure he didn't get too far ahead of himself in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship final — and ended up leaving Kei Nishikori behind.
"I feel in the past I'd see the finish line and I'd start thinking about that," Sweeting said after beating Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) on Sunday for his first ATP World Tour title. "I didn't think about the end result today. In the tiebreaker, I just tried to play each point."
The 23-year-old American became the fifth first-time winner on the ATP tour this year and the first U.S. Clay Court wild-card champion since Mardy Fish in 2006.
"I think I'm most happy the way I performed under pressure in my first final," Sweeting said. "I stayed calm and stayed focused. I didn't let the moment get to me which in past performances I have."
Sweeting, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., turned pro in 2007 and had never reached an ATP semifinal until this week. He fell to the court in jubilation and fatigue after the hard-fought second set and later took a cannon ball victory dive into the River Oaks Country Club pool.
Sweeting had to show his mettle before the tiebreaker.
Trailing 5-4 in the second set, Sweeting served in the 10th game and had to overcome three set points before holding on a lob error by Nishikori that fell behind the line. The game lasted for 26 points.
"It was a good hold, it gave me a little bit of momentum going into the rest of the set and made it tougher on him," Sweeting said. "He's a competitor and he won't stop until the last point.
The tiebreaker got tight when Sweeting double-faulted to bring the score to a 3-3 tie. Two errors by Nishikori and a forehand volley winner by Sweeting brought it to match point and it ended when Nishikori's forehand skipped wide.
Nishikori was trying to win the tournament to give inspiration to his tsunami-torn country.
Nishikori has a website that auctions donated items from players with all profit going to the tsunami victims in Japan. Items include a shoe worn by Maria Sharapova and a tennis racket signed by John McEnroe. A tennis shirt worn by Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open has surpassed $5,200 in bidding.
Nishikori almost pulled off a comeback late in the second set.
"I wasn't aggressive enough," Nishikori said. "I really wanted to win but I think he deserved it today. He played well, better."
"I feel in the past I'd see the finish line and I'd start thinking about that," Sweeting said after beating Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) on Sunday for his first ATP World Tour title. "I didn't think about the end result today. In the tiebreaker, I just tried to play each point."
The 23-year-old American became the fifth first-time winner on the ATP tour this year and the first U.S. Clay Court wild-card champion since Mardy Fish in 2006.
"I think I'm most happy the way I performed under pressure in my first final," Sweeting said. "I stayed calm and stayed focused. I didn't let the moment get to me which in past performances I have."
Sweeting, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., turned pro in 2007 and had never reached an ATP semifinal until this week. He fell to the court in jubilation and fatigue after the hard-fought second set and later took a cannon ball victory dive into the River Oaks Country Club pool.
Sweeting had to show his mettle before the tiebreaker.
Trailing 5-4 in the second set, Sweeting served in the 10th game and had to overcome three set points before holding on a lob error by Nishikori that fell behind the line. The game lasted for 26 points.
"It was a good hold, it gave me a little bit of momentum going into the rest of the set and made it tougher on him," Sweeting said. "He's a competitor and he won't stop until the last point.
The tiebreaker got tight when Sweeting double-faulted to bring the score to a 3-3 tie. Two errors by Nishikori and a forehand volley winner by Sweeting brought it to match point and it ended when Nishikori's forehand skipped wide.
Nishikori was trying to win the tournament to give inspiration to his tsunami-torn country.
Nishikori has a website that auctions donated items from players with all profit going to the tsunami victims in Japan. Items include a shoe worn by Maria Sharapova and a tennis racket signed by John McEnroe. A tennis shirt worn by Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open has surpassed $5,200 in bidding.
Nishikori almost pulled off a comeback late in the second set.
"I wasn't aggressive enough," Nishikori said. "I really wanted to win but I think he deserved it today. He played well, better."
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