The Hanshin Tigers are well into their annual summer jaunt away from Koshien Stadium as they make way for the National High School Baseball Championship. The Tigers, who left the park behind on Aug. 2 and won't return until Aug. 28, are nine games into the so-called "Road Trip of Death" and have gone 7-2 thus far.
The team is also in first place in the Central League. The next several days, however, will present a threat to their place atop the standings as they face consecutive road series against the second- and third-place teams in the CL.
On a positive note, the Tigers go into this stretch with two foreign players, Matt Murton and Mauro Gomez, hitting well after struggling earlier in the year. Since Aug. 1, Murton is batting .465 with a homer and three RBIs, while Gomez is .394 with two home runs and 11 RBIs.