Daiei seized the first lead of the match in the third when rightfielder Hisao Arakane walked and went to second on a sacrifice. Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi walked. Shortstop Munenori Kawasaki singled to right, his first RBI knock with a runner in scoring position in 11 games. Somehow two runs crossed and it was 2-0. He then got himself picked off of first. 

But in the fifth,  Hosokawa fileted a 1-2 fastball into the rightcenterfield seatsto halve that disparity to 2-1. 

In the sixth, Seibu leftfielder Kazuhiro Wada poleaxed a slider into the centerfield bleachers and it was even at two all. One out later, rightfielder Hiroyuki Oshima singled to right. After another out, Hoshino plunked Hosokawa. Nobuyasu Matsu replaced Hoshino. Backup second baseman Hiroshi Hirao walked and the sacks were packed. Shinji Kurano spelled Matsu and DH Hiroyuki Shibata singled to left to redeem Oshima and Hosokawa and the runners moved up to second and third on the throw home. Centerfielder Tatsuya Ozeki singled to right and Hirao and Shibata headed in with a 6-2 advantage. 

Takahiro Mahara came in for Daiei in the seventh for his first pro relief appearance and was rocked. Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima singled to right with two outs and Hosokawa lambasted one into the rightcenterfield stands to pump the Lions lead up to 8-2. 

Mahara stayed in to pitch the eighth and Ozeki got aboard on an infield hit and third baseman Jose Fernandez cleaned and jerked one into the rightfield seats to enhance the advantage to 10-2. 

Former Atlanta Braves farmhand Kazuhiro Takeoka opened on the hill for the Hawks in the ninth and he didn't leave unscathed, either, as Nakajima greeted him with a bomb into the leftfield bleachers. Pinch hitter Scott McClain walked and went to second on a wild pitch. One out later, reserve DH Shogo Akada singled to center to plate McClain. After another out, substitute third baseman Taketoshi Goto walked. Backup leftfielder Tomoaki Sato singled to centerfor the RBI and it was 13-2.

Shinji Mori was victimized by a one out homer to center by first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka in the bottom of the inning and then put the next two men away on groundouts to bring it to a conclusion. 

Yamazaki was the first Seibu rookie in five years to win his first start for the club. The last one to do it was Daisuke Matsuzaka. 

Mahara was schedled to start in an upcoming series with Kintetsu, but that may be pushed back given this outing and his previous start, where he got shelled. 
 

Photo:  Seibu Rookie Yamazaki Displays Form

Yusaku Iriki started for Nippon Ham and went five competent innings of two run ball on seven hits in five innings in his first start to scoop up his first victory since August 29, 2002. He was clocked at 89mph.

Nippon Ham riddled Minchey for a four spot in the first, as DH Tomoyuki Oda doubled to left with two outs and first baseman Fernando Seguignol boomed one into the rightfield seats. Leftfielder Angel Echevarria doubled off the centerfield wall. Newlywed second baseman Kuniyuki Kimoto celebrated with an RBI single to right. Catcher Shinji Takahashi walked. Kensuke Tanaka singled to right to bring 
Kimoto in for a 4-0 advantage.

In the second, Nippon Ham shortstop Makoto Kaneko walked and, one out later, centerfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo drilled a shot into the leftcenterfield seats. Oda and Seguignol each singled to right., Oda accelerating for third. Echevarria grounded to short and Oda crossed. Kimoto whistled a double off the leftfield wall for another tally and Minchey was out of there in favor of Kawai, who plunked Takahashi. Tanaka doubled to rightcenter and two more toed the dish for a 10-0 lead. 

Lotte at least averted the shutout in the third on a walk to shortstop Makoto Kosaka, a double to leftcenter from Jun Inoue, as walk to second baseman Koichi Hori that juiced the bags. Matt Franco roped one destined for the leftfield corner, but Tanaka made a leaping snare of it. Leftfielder Benny Agbayani singled to left to plate Kosaka and first baseman Kazuya Fukuura singled to left to exploit Inoue and make it 10-2. 

In the bottom of the frame, the Fighters turned a one out Shinjo double to leftcenter and a single to center by Oda for the RBI and an 11-2 advantage. 

Next time up, Kimoto singled to center and Takahashi walked. One out later, Kaneko doubled to rightcenter to plate both baserunners. Rightfielder Tomochika Tsuboi homered to right to swell the lead to 15-2. 

Lotte had the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, but third baseman Kiyoshi Hatsushiba's extra base bid was flagged down on the dead run by Shinjo for the third out. 

Shingo Ono came on for Lotte in the fifth and struck the first two men out, but Kimoto doubled down the leftfield line and Takahashi cleared one for takeoff, landing it inthe leftfield bleachers. Tanaka reached on an infield hit. Kaneko doubled to rightcenter and Tanaka revved around the basepaths to make it 18-2.

The fireworks would finally cease after backup catcher Kazunari Sanematsu and Kaneko walked and Tsuboi doubled to leftcenter to drive them in and that was hot it ended, a 20-2 defenestration. 

The nine doubles by Nippon Ham tied a Pacific League record. The NPB mark is 11 by Yomiuri. 

Shinjo had his first three hit night of the season and was a triple short of the cycle. 

The Fighters are now only two percentage points behind Daiei. 

Maybe Seattle manager Bob Melvin should give Valentine a call and they can commiserate on their disappointing first six weeks. 
 

Photo:  Yusaku Iriki Lets One Go Wednesday Night

 

Kawagoe had permitted just two hits and Beirne none through five, but the former Dodger's no hit bid was spoiled with two outs in the sixth when Orix centerfielder Arihito Muramatsu doubled to leftcenter and Keiichi Hirano singled to center on a fastball to get Muramatsu in for a 1-0 Blue Wave lead.

A pair of walks would then unravel Kawagoe in the seventh, as Isobe worked a freebie and first baseman Hirotoshi Kitagawa singled to left. Both men were sacrificed over. Pinch hitter Daisuke Masuda was intentionally walked to set up a force at every base. Fumitoshi Takano grounded into a 6-2 force. But centerfielder Naoyuki Omura beat out a roller toward second and Kitagawa crossed with the tying run. Kawagoe then gave Mizuguchi a slider he could do comfortably reach and it was pinged off the leftfield wall and when the dust cleared, it was 4-1 Kintetsu.  

Orix rightfielder Roosevelt Brown was ejected in the top of the seventh for arguing a strike call with the plate umpire. "Because he has a good eye, it had to be a ball," said Orix skipper Haruki Ihara supportively. 

Beirne is fifth in the PL in ERA with a 3.38 mark. The top two are, who would thunk it, also Buffaloes, Tetsuro Kawajiri and Hisashi Iwakuma. 
 

Photo:  Kevin Beirne Delivers to the Plate Wednesday