If I told you that Kobayashi Hiroyuki – the starter who was great prior to last year but only went 5-12 with an ERA above 5 in 2008 and is 2-9 with a 4.67 ERA in 2009 and has lost 5 of his last 6 starts – wait, that’s too long of an aside. If …
Tag: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Game Report: Fighters vs Lotte, 28 July
I took a bit of a break when the team did for the All-Star break, so everyone involved needs a bit of time to get back into the swing of things. The first game after the break started a lot like the last few games as visiting Nippon Ham jumped on Lotte starter Kobayshi in …
Home Is Where the Victory Is
Just as there’s nothing quite like home cooking, there’s nothing like coming home after a 7-game losing streak on the road to get your team back in the win column. Hot on the heels of road sweeps at the hands of Nippon Ham and Orix, Lotte returned to the welcoming arms of Chiba Marine Stadium …
Game Report(s): Lotte vs Rakuten, 9 July, Lotte vs Nippon Ham, 10 July
You may have noticed that I am slow in posting when things don’t go well. I admit it; I don’t really like to talk bad about my favorite team. There’s no way around it, though – these last two games were really unpleasant to watch as a fan. Both games unfolded similarly and the results …
Game Report: Orix vs Lotte, 3 July
Thursday night’s game left me wired. I woke up on Friday morning still thinking of the end to that game, and when I went into the office many others wanted to discuss it too. I thought it the sort of game a team could build upon, a game where you face your biggest rival in …
Game Report(s): Fighters vs Lotte, 6/26-27
Unfortunately I am more than a little late with reports from this weekend’s action. Baseball IS life, but sometimes other aspects of life get in the way. In the ‘seemingly-unfortunately-but-actually-worked-out-well’ category, I missed my first Lotte home game in over a month on Friday as the Nippon Ham came to town this weekend for the …
Interleague Game 20: Chiba Clutch City
Wow, what a well-played game for both teams! The final game of 2009 between Lotte and Hanshin (barring a 2005 Japan Series rematch) had it all – a pitching duel, great defense, unexpected plays, and best of all – a clutch hit to drive in the winning run in a 4-1 Marines victory. Lotte starter …
Interleague Game 17: Gone Fishing
The Red Hell from Hiroshima stormed into a very windy (even by local standards) Chiba Marine Stadium tonight with an eye towards continuing their dominance over our dear Marines. It was no domination, but it was definitely a victory as Lotte loses again to Hiroshima, 2-0. If you like strikeouts and lost opportunities, this was …
Interleague Game 12: All Quiet on the Eastern Front
The Kyojin and Marines met up for battle again – not at Ypres, Verdun, or the Somme, but at Chiba Marine – to finish that which was left unfinished in Tuesday’s 0-0 tie. It’s baseball, though, not trench warfare – so why does it feel like a battle of attrition? Surely the good guys will …
Interleague Game 11: In the beginning….
… there was nothing. In the end, too, apparently. That’s what is left after 12 innings and nearly 4 hours – and still the score is 0-0. Nothing. WARNING: Giants fans may not want to proceed further. This is a pure anti-Giants zone, always. Everyone’s free to read, of course, but keep in mind this …