A run scoring balk in the eighth inning by Softbank reliever C.J. Nitokowski resulted in the tying run crossing and setup a chance for Rakuten Golden Eagles pinch hitter Akihisa Makita to launch a sac fly to center that brought in the lead run before they tacked on another in the ninth to skip away with a 4-2 victory at Fukuoka Dome Friday. Shingo Matsuzaki picked up the win after twirling a scoreless inning while Nitkowski was saddled with the defeat. 

Hisashi Iwakuma started for Rakuten and permitted two hits and two walks in three innings, but emerged unscathed thanks to rookie catcher Motohiro Shima pegging three runners out attempting to steal second. 

But all of the attention was focused on Eagles rookie righthander Masahiro  Tanaka, who was in for just an inning and struckout two of the three men he saw in his first formal exhibition game in the pros. He was clocked at 91mph. 

Beginning things on the hill for Softbank was Rick Guttormson, who shut Rakuten out on three hits during his three inning assignment. 

True to last season, where they stood more runners up than you could shake a stick at, the Eagles loaded the bases on a pair of one out singles and third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda's error, but first baseman Kevin Witt grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing and that was that. 

Softbank also bypassed a two on, one out chance in the bottom half with two flyouts to center. 

In the fourth, though, after Rakuten frittered away a two on, nobody out opportunity, the Hawks went on the offensive in the bottom half when first baseman Brian Buchanan walked against reliever Koji Aoyama and leftfielder Hitoshi  Tamura smoked an 89mph fastball off the top of the rightcenterfield wall for an RBI triple. Matsuda stepped in and atoned for his miscue by banging a single to center to cash Tamura in for a 2-0 advantage. Aoyama struck the next two men out to quell any further damage and that would be it for the home team's attack until the ninth. 

Rakuten answered with a run in the fifth, as shortstop Daisuke Kusano walked and, one out later, moved to second on a groundout. Second baseman Yosuke Takasu singled to center to plate Kusano to put it at 2-1. That was all they would produce until Nitkowski ascended the bump in the eighth. 

Tanaka took over for Aoyama in the sixth and put reserve shortstop Hidemitsu Saito away swinging on a slider down and away. Another slider resulted in Buchanan grounding to short. Substitute centerfielder Ryuma Kidokoro got a hanging slider up around the letters, but he swung through it and Tanaka's day was done. 

The Eagles then pulled ahead in the eighth when centerfielder Teppei Tsuchiya reached on an infield hit and third baseman Katsumi Yamashita singled to right. One out later, Nitkowski plunked scrub rightfielder Takahiro Yamazaki to pack the sacks. Nitkowski balked and it was tied. Makita stood in for starting leftfielder Kenshi Kawaguchi and lifted one deep enough to center that cleared Yamashita for tagging up and landing at home to make it 3-2. 

Kusano singled to left to commence the ninth against Yoshiaki Fujioka and was sacrificed to second. One out later, backup second baseman Wataru Nishimura singled to center and Kusano galloped in to hike it to 4-2. 

The redoubtable (or dubious, you pick it) Shinichiro Koyama was summoned from the pen to close this baby out in the last of the inning. Kidokoro singled to center and, one out later, sub leftfielder Shotaro Ide singled to left to put the tying run on. It would bog down there, though, as second baseman Yuichi Honda flew out to left and catcher Katsuki Yamazki flew to right to seal it. 

For Rakuten, DH Rick Short was 0-3 and is at .333. Third baseman Jose Fernandez was 1-3 and is at .333. 

For Softbank, Buchanan was 0-1 with two walks and is at .375. Rightfielder Adam Hyzdu was 0-2 with a walk and is at .200.  

A circuit clout to left in the fifth inning by catcher Kohei Oda widened the Chunichi Dragons lead to 2-0 and Shinya Okamoto bailed out bullpen mate Yuichi Hisamoto to enable the Nagoya outfit to get by the Orix Buffaloes 2-1 at Osaka Dome before a miniscule crowd of 2,941. Rookie Kazuki Yoshimi fashioned two scoreless innings on two hits for the shiroboshi while Dan Serafini started for the herd and still hasn't found his command since leaving Lotte, as he was blamed for the adverse outcome after four innings of one run, four hit, two walk and four strikeout baseball on 69 pitches. 

Chunichi had two on and one out in the first to bring up 2006 CL MVP Kosuke Fukudome, but he flew out to left and first baseman Masahiko Morino struckout to squander the opportunity. 

Orix put the leadoff man on thanks to singles in both the first and second and they just loitered and the same thing would occur in the fifth and seventh as well against three relievers, as no runner reached second over that span. 

But Dragons DH Kazuyoshi Tatsunami would kick off his club's second with a walk and, one out later, third baseman Akira Nishikawa tripled to right to send Chunichi up 1-0. However, they couldn't get Nishikawa across due to two ground balls that followed. 

They did hedge out a little further in the fifth, as Oda tied into a pitch from Lance Carter and lost it over the wall to stretch it to 2-0. 

Hisamoto had a relatively uneventful seventh after going in, but in the eighth, reserve centerfielder Hiroaki Onishi walked and went to second on a sacrifice. Substitute rightfielder Shintaro Yoshida singled to right and it was 2-1 when Onishi dashed to the plate. Backup firs baseman Ryota Aikawa struckout. Makoto Shiozaki was next and Dragons shot caller Hiromitsu Ochiai opted to go to the pen for Okamoto, who retired Shiozaki on a popup to first. 

Okamoto returned for the ninth. Scrub catcher Daisuke Maeda singled to left and moved to second on a sac bunt. Reserve second baseman Yujiro Kake went down on strikes and rookie Keiji Obiki flew out to right and that was the ballgame. 

For Orix, rightfielder Chad Allen was 0-3 and is at .333. Third baseman Greg LaRocca was also 0-3 and is at .333. Carter went an inning on the one run and one hit and struckout two for an ERA of 4.50.  

In addition, Lotte is reportrdly interviewing candidates to interpret for Wu. 

Nippon Ham After the team's players were given their championship rings Thursday, now they may sell costumed jewelry replicas to fans. Details are in the final stages of being decided, but they will cost in the neighborhood of 50-100,000 yen ($400-800 or so) and the diamonds the players got will be replaced by glass in the middle of the rings. 

Orix Tuffy Rhodes, wearing one of Tom Davey's uniforms, started in right for the Buffaloes farm team, Surpass, in an instructional league game Friday before about a thousand fans and doubled in five at bats. 

Interestingly, on the other side was the farm team of the Chunichi Dragons, featuring one Norihiro Nakamura, who singled and walked twice in four plate appearances. The Dragons took it 7-3. Nakamura's wife Hiroko was there taking it in. 

Seibu The Lions are reportedly interested in Hotoku Gakuen High lefthander Reo Chikada, who combines a 90mph fastball with a slider and a changeup. The only thing is that Chikada is only a sophomore and will turn 17 this April. What I wonder is what is going on here. Japanese law only mandates children to attend school through ninth grade, but more than 90% of that country's teenagers nonetheless go on to graduate high school. I hope that Chikada isn't going to drop out to try to go pro. 

Jason Johnson will start against Yokohama Saturday and said Friday that he will be working on sharpening the control of his two seam fastball.