Japanese Baseball Aug 17, 2013

Giants' Chono slugs clutch home run in victory over Dragons

by Jason Coskrey

The third time was the charm for Hisayoshi Chono on Saturday afternoon. After not getting the ball out of the infield in his first two at-bats, Chono connected on a come-from-behind, three-run home run in the sixth inning that helped propel the Yomiuri Giants ...

Japanese Baseball Aug 14, 2013

Giants bounce back in win over BayStars

Ryosuke Miyaguni allowed a run in six steady innings on Wednesday, helping the Yomiuri Giants beat the Yokohama BayStars 4-1 after the Central League leaders dropped their series opener the night before. John Bowker homered for the second straight night, giving the Giants the ...

Japanese Baseball Aug 13, 2013

BayStars stave off Giants comeback

Daisuke Miura won a battle of aces, working into the eighth inning behind outstanding run support as the Yokohama BayStars defeated the Central League-leading Yomiuri Giants 10-7 on Tuesday. Miura (8-9) held the Giants to two runs through the first six innings, but began ...

Japanese Baseball Aug 6, 2013

Giants bash BayStars in series opener

Shuichi Murata and John Bowker homered, lefty Tetsuya Utsumi went seven shutout innings, and the Central League-leading Yomiuri Giants blanked the Yokohama BayStars 6-0 to open a three-game series on Tuesday night. Yomiuri center fielder Hisayoshi Chono went 3-for-4, delivering a two-run single to ...

Japanese Baseball Aug 4, 2013

Tigers rookie Fujinami holds off Giants

In a matchup of rookie All-Star starting pitchers, Hanshin Tigers teenager Shintaro Fujinami worked six innings to earn the victory in Sunday’s 7-0 win over the Yomiuri Giants. The 19-year-old Fujinami improved to 7-4. He allowed six hits and a walk, while striking out ...

Japanese Baseball Aug 3, 2013

Nakai, Nishimura thrive in pressure-packed moments for Giants

by Jason Coskrey

Daisuke Nakai might want to get comfortable at the Big Egg. Because he might not be going anywhere soon. Nakai hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, and closer Kentaro Nishimura wriggled out of a bases-loaded situation in the ninth, as the ...

Japanese Baseball Aug 1, 2013

Giants' Takahashi delivers pinch-hit single in ninth to end thriller against Swallows

by Jason Coskrey

Yoshinobu Takahashi’s single in the ninth inning felt like one of the few hits that remained in the park in a game that at times resembled a home run derby. Takahashi’s hit may not have gone as far as some of the night’s big ...

Japanese Baseball Jul 25, 2013

Second-inning outburst propels Carp past Giants

by Jason Coskrey

The Hiroshima Carp weren’t pleased with how things went in their first game after the All-Star break. It’s safe to say Yomiuri Giants pitcher Ryosuke Miyaguni can relate. Kenta Maeda and Fred Lewis each hit two-run doubles, Kila Ka’aihue added a two-run homer, and ...

Japanese Baseball Jul 14, 2013

Luna hit sees off Giants as Dragons complete sweep

Hector Luna’s pinch-hit single broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Chunichi Dragons completed a three-game sweep of the Central League-leading Yomiuri Giants with a 2-1 victory on Sunday. Moments after the Giants tied the game against Dragons ...

Japanese Baseball Jul 7, 2013

Giants lefty Sugiuchi rattles BayStars

Lefty Toshiya Sugiuchi won a pitching duel against veteran right-hander Daisuke Miura as the Yomiuri Giants beat the Yokohama BayStars 2-0 on Sunday afternoon. Leadoff hitter Daisuke Nakai hit a two-run homer off Miura with two outs in the fourth inning at Tokyo Dome. ...

Japanese Baseball Jul 5, 2013

Kamei belts two home runs as Giants hammer BayStars

by Dave Hueston

Yoshiyuki Kamei homered twice, Shuichi Murata hit a grand slam and the Yomiuri Giants used a prolific long-ball attack to wallop the Yokohama BayStars in a 12-7 rout on Friday night. Kamei’s first blast in the third, a solo dinger, broke a 1-1 tie ...