Andy Sheets drove home the winning run in the ninth inning as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Yokohama BayStars 1-0 to win their seventh straight game in the Central League on Thursday.
Hanshin third baseman Andy Sheets celebrates with his teammates after hitting a game-winning RBI single
in the bottom of the ninth against the Yokohama BayStars at Koshien Stadium on Thursday night. The Tigers
won 1-0.
KYODO PHOTO Sheets lined an 0-2 pitch from Matt White through the hole between third and shortstop with none out and the bases loaded at Koshien Stadium, giving the Tigers their seventh "sayonara" win of the season.
Atsushi Fujimoto led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left field, beat the throw from catcher Ryoji Aikawa at second base on a bunt by Takashi Toritani and crossed the plate on Sheets' hit after Norihiro Akahoshi walked to load the bases.
Naohisa Sugiyama scattered five hits in six innings and Tomoyuki Kubota and closer Kyuji Fujikawa (5-2) combined to hold the BayStars to one hit the rest of the way.
Giants at Dragons — late
Carp at Swallows — ppd
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Eagles at Hawks — late
Otsuka sidelined
Kyodo NewsTexas Rangers right-hander Akinori Otsuka has been placed on the 60-day disabled list and will not pitch again this season, the Rangers said Wednesday.
