Chunichi Dragons vs Seibu Lions @ Seibu Dome - 18:00
Starters: Bradley Bergesen (CHU) 2-1, 3.25 - Kikuchi, Yusei (SEI) 6-2, 1.60

Attendance: 15993 | Time: 2h49m | Seibu leads series, 2-1-0

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Softbank Hawks vs Chunichi Dragons @ Nagoya Dome - 14:00
Starters: Yamada, Hiroki (SOF) 3-2, 3.04 - Yamamoto, Masahiro (CHU) 2-1, 2.21

Attendance: 35568 | Time: 4h8m | Softbank leads series, 3-0-1

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Yomiuri Giants

Yoshinobu Takahashi could play in a Ni-gun rehab game against Nippon Ham on the 11th.  Shohei Otani is scheduled to start that game for the Fighters.

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

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Tatsunori Hara wonders what it might be like if only paying fans (tickets, merchandise) were allowed to cast votes for the All-Star game, similar to the AKB48 elections.

Source: Daily Sports 6/8/2013

Chunichi Dragons

Morimichi Takagi spent about fifteen minutes giving Naomichi Donoue advice on hitting during practices on Friday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

Hiroshima Carp

A large number of moths were spotted at Mazda Stadium during a game against Lotte on the 5th.  The field was examined on Friday.  Insecticide was used to prevent a recurrence.

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Matt Murton is in the final year of a two-year deal.  The Tigers are considering a contract extension.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

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The Arai brothers have done fairly well during day games so far this year (through Friday).

Takahiro - 17 G, 23-for-62, four home runs
Ryota - 15 G, 14-for-49, two home runs

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

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The Tigers do not want to mess with 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami's rhythm and will continue to trot him out to the mound every Sunday.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/8/2013

Fujinami threw about forty pitches in the bullpen today in preparation for his start on Sunday.

Source: Daily Sports 6/8/2013

Fujinami lowered his bath water temperature from 42.5 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius this month to account for the warmer weather.

Source: Sanspo 6/8/2013

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The Tigers are thinking about adding Ikusei pitcher Keisuke Hayashi to the seventy-man roster.  Their are currently sixty-seven players on the roster.  The organization feels Hayashi has a good enough fastball to be an effective reliever.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/8/2013

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Blaine Boyer apparently had some difficulty adjusting to the softer mound during his one inning Ni-gun appearance on Friday.

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

Daisuke Miura is set to earn his FA option on the 9th.  He spoke to reporters on Friday about the option and said, "There is no way I will exercise it.  I want to win with Yokohama.  I made that decision in 2008 and my feelings have not changed.  I will end my career as Yokohama's Daisuke Miura."

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

Masanori Ishikawa (Yakult) was examined at a hospital and taken off the active roster on Friday with tightness in his left lower back.  The Swallows expect Ichikawa to return in the minimum amount of time.

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

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According to Sports Hochi, Kenta Maeda (Hiroshima) could toss a bullpen session on Sunday.  The timetable for his return (tightness in his right side) will be set based on how the session goes.  For now, Maeda is aiming for a return on June 15 (vs Nippon Ham at Sapporo Dome).

Nikkan Sports figures Maeda might not toss a bullpen session until the 11th.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/8/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

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Kazuki Yoshimi (Chunichi) started his rehab at Nagoya Stadium today.  He is not allowed to do a lot of sweating right now and had to keep his workouts light.  The Dragons are hoping he will be able to start throwing before the end of the year.  That could put him on track for a return some time during the first half of the 2014 season.

Yoshimi had surgery on his right elbow (Tommy John surgery and an elbow cleaning) on the 4th and was discharged from the hospital on the 7th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

The Chunichi Dragons announced today that 3rd round draft pick Takeru Furumoto had traumatic cataract surgery on his left eye on Friday at a hospital in Nagoya.  He will require about three to four weeks for his vision to return to normal.

Furumoto suffered the original injury while playing college ball last year.  He did go under the knife once already, but needed additional work due to complications.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/8/2013, Sponichi 6/8/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

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The Nippon Ham Fighters took Haruki Nishikawa off the active roster today because they want him to focus on getting treatment for his left knee.  He will travel with the Ichi-gun team and is scheduled for an examination at a hospital in Sapporo on the 11th.

Nishikawa suffered the injury to his knee during a game against Yokohama on the 3rd.  He was examined at a hospital in Tokyo on the 5th and diagnosed with a minor lateral collateral ligament injury and a bone contusion on his left shinbone.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

Softbank Hawks vs Chunichi Dragons @ Nagoya Dome - 18:00
Starters: Padilla, Vicente (SOF) 2-2, 3.65 - Yamauchi, Soma (CHU) 2-4, 5.12

Attendance: 36094 | Time: 4h56m | Softbank leads series, 2-0-1

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Yomiuri Giants

Yoshinobu Takahashi (left calf strain) might be ready to play in a rehab Ni-gun game on the 16th against Lotte.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013

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Dennis Houlton was taken off the active roster today since the Giants will most likely move to a four-man rotation because of the sparse schedule.

Source: Sponichi 6/7/2013

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Shortly after the season starter, Shinnosuke Abe was using a bat that weighed about 940 grams.  Heading into June, he switched to a lighter bat that weighed about 910 grams.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013

Chunichi Dragons

1st round draft pick Koji Fukutani joined the Ichi-gun team for workouts at Nagoya Dome today.  He will most likely be added to the active roster on Saturday and will likely be used in relief.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013

Hiroshima Carp

Pitching coach Yasuyuki Yamauchi spoke to reporters about Kenta Maeda's (pain in his right side) status today and hinted that he might not be able to return during the Rakuten series in Sendai (June 12, 13) and could instead end up returning during the Nippon Ham series in Hokkaido (June 15, 16).

He also said they were still uncertain of whether or not Bryan Bullington (banged up his right side while making a defensive play during Thursday's game against Lotte) would be able to make his next start.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Blaine Boyer pitched in a Ni-gun game against Sotbank today -- he entered the game in the 7th and gave up three runs on four hits in one inning of work.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013, Sanspo 6/7/2013

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Matt Murton's walk-off home run on Thursday was the franchise's 100th (fifteenth by a foreign player).  Tadayoshi Kajioka recorded the franchise's first walk-off home run on April 12, 1948.

Source: Sanspo 6/7/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013, Sponichi 6/7/2013

When Murton swapped bats after swinging and missing the first pitch of his at bat in the 9th, it was because he spotted small crack that he had not picked up on beforehand.  Had he not noticed it, he may not have been able to hit his walk-off home run.

Source: Sponichi 6/7/2013, Sports Hochi 6/7/2013

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NHK will broadcast a special program on 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami on June 10 (BS1 at 9:00pm), June 20 (Sogo at 1:30am), and July 8 (BS1 at 12:00am).

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013, official NHK page

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The Tigers will most likely hold off on calling Yasutomo Kubo back up to the active roster in the minimum ten days to give him a few more opportunities to pitch at Ni-gun.  The Ni-gun Tigers are starting a three-game series on the road against Softbank today, but Kubo is not with the traveling with the Ni-gun team right now and will instead most likely pitch in an upcoming three-game series against Ni-gun Hiroshima that begins on the 11th at Koshien.

Source: Sanspo 6/7/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

Tim Corcoran arrived at Haneda Airport with his wife and child earlier today.  He will get a physical early next week before the team introduces him to the press.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013

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Takehiro Ishikawa joined the Ichi-gun team for workouts at Yokohama Stadium today.  Ishikawa is coming off a Ni-gun game against Seibu on Thursday in which he went 4-for-5 with a solo home run.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/7/2013

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Tony Blanco's wife and two children were at Thursday night's game against Softbank.

Source: Sanspo 6/7/2013

Daniel Cabrera left Wednesday's game early with pain in his left side.  He was examined at a hospital in Nagoya today and diagnosed with a fracture in the 11th rib on his left side.  Cabrera will likely require four to six weeks for a full recovery.  He was taken off the active roster today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/6/2013, Daily Sports 6/6/2013

Orix Buffaloes vs Chunichi Dragons @ Nagoya Dome - 18:00
Starters: Igawa, Kei (ORI) 1-0, 5.06 - Yamai, Daisuke (CHU) 0-2, 9.72

Attendance: 24834 | Time: 3h8m | Series tied, 2-2-0

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Orix Buffaloes vs Chunichi Dragons @ Nagoya Dome - 18:00
Starters: Matsuba, Takahiro (ORI) 3-1, 3.20 - Cabrera, Daniel (CHU) 4-2, 3.14

Attendance: 24905 | Time: 3h54m | Orix leads series, 2-1-0

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