It took a home run on the very first pitch of the game, a squeeze play and a lot from Takayuki Kishi, but the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles are still alive and kicking.
Kishi turned in a great start on the mound against his old team, Eigoro Mogi homered and drove in a pair of runs and the Eagles staved off elimination with a 4-1 victory over the Seibu Lions in Game 2 of the Pacific League Climax Series First Stage on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Dome.
"I think since I felt as bad as (Takahiro) Norimoto did (after Norimoto's loss in Game 1), I really wanted to get a win and give Mima some good vibes for tomorrow," Kishi said, referring to Game 3 starter Manabu Mima.