Hawks pounce on Buffaloes with 22-run onslaught

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players congratulate one another after their 22-6 victory over the visiting Orix Buffaloes on Tuesday night. | KYODO

Kyodo

SHARE
May 24, 2016

FUKUOKA – Every Fukuoka SoftBank hitter in the starting lineup had an RBI as the Hawks beat up on the Orix Buffaloes for a season-high 17 hits in a 22-6 win Tuesday.

Rick van den Hurk improved to 6-1 despite being less than stellar, giving up five earned runs — all to Tony Blanco, who had two home runs — in six innings.

But on a night when Yuya Hasegawa went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, and Yuki Yanagita homered and drove in four runs while scoring three times and drawing three walks, the reigning Japan Series champions could afford an off outing from van den Hurk.

The only inning SoftBank, which followed a five-run third with an eight-run fourth, didn’t score was in the seventh.

Hiroaki Takaya joined the Hawks’ hit parade with four hits and four runs scored, and Akira Nakamura scored three runs from three walks and a base hit.

Brandon Dickson (4-4) had a nightmarish start, failing to get out of the third. In just 2-1/3 innings, he allowed seven earned runs on five hits — including a two-run homer by Yanagita — and four walks.

Lions 4, Eagles 1

At Tokorozawa’s Seibu Prince Dome, Seibu sent Tohoku Rakuten to a season-worst seventh straight loss and fourth-year southpaw Isamu Sato (1-2) picked up his first career win with five scoreless innings.

Marines 3, Fighters 1

At Sapporo Dome, Alfredo Despaigne and Yamaico Navarro homered for Chiba Lotte, which won its third in a row while ending Hokkaido Nippon Ham’s three-game winning streak.

CENTRAL LEAGUE

Carp 6, Giants 0

At Hiroshima’s Mazda Stadium, Hiroshima’s Kris Johnson (6-3) threw his second straight shutout, striking out 10 and holding Yomiuri to four hits.

Carp slugger Brad Eldred went 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs.

BayStars 6, Dragons 5

At Hamamatsu Stadium, Yokohama won its third in a row behind Jose Lopez’s game-tying solo shot in the seventh inning and a Chunichi error in the eighth that gave the BayStars the lead for good.

Tigers 7, Swallows 5

At Tokyo’s Jingu Stadium, Atsushi Nomi won for the first time in a month, allowing one earned run in six innings to improve to 3-3 as Hanshin sent Tokyo Yakult to its third straight loss.