The 2021 season started on time, and with excitement at an all-time high, the Hanshin Tigers took to Meiji Jingu Stadium to square off against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Unlike last year’s opener, our ace pitcher was neither spectacular, nor did he do much of anything at the plate. But it did not matter because this season, we started off with a W.
Starting Pitchers: Shintaro Fujinami vs. Yasuhiro Ogawa
Top 1: Chikamoto pops up on the first pitch, Itohara hit a liner to right, and Marte grounded out to third, though he did rip a deep foul on the first pitch of his at-bat.
Bottom 1: Fujinami pitched a quick, clean half-inning.
Top 2: Yusuke Ohyama got the game’s first hit, and Jerry Sands followed it up with a Texas leaguer to right. Teruaki Sato had his first pro at-bat, worked it to a full count, and then lined out to left. The Tigers drew first blood when Ohyama scored from third. The golden rookie got his first career RBI.
Bottom 2: One out single, walk, single landed Fujinami in trouble. The Swallows tied the game up when a feeble grounder to second could not be parlayed into a double play.
Top 3: Three up, three down.
Bottom 3: A single was followed by the first error of the season for the Tigers (Ohyama fumbled a grounder). With one out and runners on the corners, Fujinami induced a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Top 4: Marte’s fly ball was deep but not deep enough. Ohyama looked at a questionable strike three. Then, Jerry Sands punished the ball, taking a 2-1 curveball to right-center. Sato grounded into a perfect infield shift.
Bottom 4: Second error of the night as Kinami threw wide of first base. Wild pitch, walk, fly out to right, failed bunt attempt, fly out to center. Lead safe (for now).
Top 5: Three up, three down.
Bottom 5: Take a deep breath. Hit, walk, fly out. “Infield hit” (Itohara got to the ball but the ball fell out of his hand as he tried to throw to first). Bases stuffed and the second wild pitch of the night. Run scores. Shallow fly ball to left, then a walk. Bases stuffed again. Ground out to short. Fujinami is done… 5 IP 103 TP 5 H 5 BB 2 K 2 WP 2 R
Top 6: A one-out double to left by Kento Itohara was followed by a two-out double down the third baseline by Ohyama. The lead is ours and Shin-chan has a chance at the W!
Bottom 6: Yuta Iwasada gets three outs on 5 pitches.
Top 7: Ryutaro Umeno singled, Kinami bunted, Yoshio Itoi walked, and that was as close as we got to expanding the lead.
Bottom 7: Rookie Daichi Ishii took to the mound, struck out Tetsuto Yamada, but then walked a runner and eventually they figured out his fastball, as a triple to the right-center gap scored the tying run. Ren Kajiya had to bail him out of the inning.
Top 8: After two quick outs, Sands struck again. He worked a full-count and crushed a ball to deep left, giving the good guys the lead again. Sato struck out on three pitches.
Bottom 8: Kajiya got the first out, and Suguru Iwazaki got the last two.
Top 9: Takumu Nakano got his first career hit on the first pitch he faced. That is all. (Oh, and Kantele ended their broadcast here because it was 9:00 pm and they had other “more important” programming to show.)
Bottom 9: Robert Suarez gave up an infield single to Yamada, but struck out Murakami and got a game-ending double play from Uchikawa. We WIN!