SENDAI – Kris Johnson allowed two runs in six innings to outduel veteran right-hander Takayuki Kishi in the Hiroshima Carp’s 4-2 interleague win over the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles on Sunday.
Johnson (6-4) walked four and surrendered three hits, while striking out five at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi. But after two walks and a single gave the hosts the lead in the second inning, the lefty retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced.
Hiroshima’s Xavier Batista tied the game 2-2 in the sixth, when he doubled in catcher Tsubasa Aizawa for the second time in the game.
Kishi (2-1) allowed three runs over seven innings. He struck out eight, while allowing seven hits and three walks. His leadoff walk in the seventh proved costly, when Ryoma Nishikawa singled off a nearly unhittable pitch to put Hiroshima in front on what should have been an inning-ending strikeout.
With two outs, an 0-2 count and pinch runner Takayoshi Noma at second, Nishikawa swatted at a changeup just before it hit the dirt and knocked it between third and short for an RBI single.
“I was just lucky it found a hole,” Nishikawa said.
Aizawa singled in an insurance run in the top of the ninth, and Geronimo Franzua, Hiroshima’s fourth pitcher, worked a 1-2-3 inning in the home half for his second save.
Lions 10, Swallows 6
At MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Wataru Matsumoto (2-1), the Saitama Seibu Lions’ top draft pick last autumn, allowed two runs over 5⅔ innings in a win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Hawks 2, BayStars 2
At Yafuoku Dome in Fukuoka, Yokohama BayStars closer Yasuaki Yamasaki pitched his way out of a no-out, bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the 12th inning to preserve a 2-2 tie with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Giants 7, Fighters 3
At Sapporo Dome, Tomoyuki Sugano (7-3) went seven innings, and did not allow a run after giving up three in the first as the Yomiuri Giants beat the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 7-3.
Marines 8, Dragons 7
At Chiba’s Zozo Marine Stadium, Daichi Suzuki homered twice and singled in two runs with two outs in a six-run ninth inning as the Chiba Lotte Marines came from behind to beat the Chunichi Dragons 8-7.
Buffaloes 5, Tigers 5
At Osaka’s Kyocera Dome, the Hanshin Tigers came from behind on Kosuke Fukudome’s two-out, two-run pinch-hit double off closer Hirotoshi Masui as their game with the Orix Buffaloes finished in a 5-5, 12-inning tie.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times
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