Toshiaki Imae should be ok to play in Saturday's exhibition game against Chunichi.  Imae missed the team's last two practice games because of discomfort in his lower back.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013

===

Tsutomu Ito does not want players hanging out with members of the opposing team while at the stadium.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013

========== Practice Games ==========

Nexen (KBO) 6 - Yokohama Bay Stars 1 (called in the 6th inning due to rain)

• Hiroshi Kobayashi started the game and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits over three innings of work.  He gave up a solo home run and topped out at 143km/h.
• The offense was limited to just one hit.
• Tony Blanco started at first and batted fourth.  He grounded out to short and struck out swinging in his two trips to the plate.  He also made a throwing error to home plate in the 3rd that led to two runs.

Source: Sponichi 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/23/2013

===

KIA (KBO) 5 - Chunichi Dragons 4 (game was called after five innings due to rain)

• Yudai Ono started the game and gave up four runs on seven hits over four innings of work.  He allowed all four runs to score in the 1st on five hits and one HBP.
• Soma Yamauchi relieved Ono and gave up a run over an inning of work.
• Yohei Oshima started in center and batted first.  He went 1-for-2: singled to right in his first at bat and struck out looking in his second at bat.  He was replaced on defense in the 4th.
• Hector Luna was the starting DH and batted fourth.  He went 2-for-2: RBI single through the left side in the 1st inning and a single to center in the 4th.

Source: Sponichi 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/23/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/23/2013

===

LG (KBO) 2 - Chiba Lotte Marines 5 (game called after five innings due to rain)

• Takuya Furuya started the game and surrendered a run on three hits over four innings of work.  He struck out the four, six, and seven batters in the 4th.
• Shunichi Nemoto (batting second) and Shoitsu Omatsu (batting clean-up) hit solo homers in the 1st inning.
• Shoitsu Omatsu batted fourth and went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/23/2013

========== Practice Games ==========

Chiba Lotte Marines 4 - Hanshin Tigers 2

Hanshin

• The offense scored two runs on five hits over the first three innings and was then held hitless over the remaining six.
• Jason Standridge started the game and tossed two shutout innings.  He gave up two hits (one each inning) and struck out one.  He topped out at 143km/h.
• Randy Messenger relieved Standridge and did not allow a run over two innings.  He surrendered one hit and topped out at 149km/h.
• Daiki Enokida gave up four runs on six hits over three innings of work.  All four runs scored in his third inning of work.  He topped out at 142km/h.
• Naoto Tsuru entered the game in the 8th and retired six in a row.
• Hiroki Uemoto started at short and batted first.  He went 1-for-4.  He shifted to second in the 4th inning.
• Yamato started in center and batted second.  He hit a double to left-center in the 1st inning.
• Tsuyoshi Nishioka started at second and batted third.  He went 2-for-2 (two singles to left).
• Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted fifth.  He grounded out to the pitcher with runners on first and third and two out in the 1st inning and hit a two-run single to left off Yuta Kimura with the bases loaded and two out in the 3rd inning.
• Nishoka and Fukudome were taken out of the game after three innings.
• Akihito Fujii threw out Yoshifumi Okada trying to steal second in the 3rd inning.

Lotte

• The offense banged out five consecutive hits in the 3rd inning to score two runs.  The five players: Saburo, Shoitsu Omatsu, Masahiko Tanaka, Kei Hosoya, and Ikuhiro Kiyota.
• Yuta Kimura started the game and gave up two runs on five hits over three innings of work.  He also struck out one and hit one.  He did not allow a run until he gave up a bases loaded, two-run single to Kosuke Fukudome with two out in the 3rd inning.
• Kazunari Abe, Ryoji Katsuki, and Yasutaka Hattori did not allow any runs or hits from the 4th inning on.
• 4th round draft pick Shohei Kato started in center and batted lead-off.  He went 0-for-4.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sanspo 2/21/2013, Daily Sports 2/21/2013, Daily Sports 2/21/2013, Daily Sports 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013, Daily Sports 2/22/2013

===

Yakult Swallows 3 - Yomiuri Giants 0

Yakult

• 1st round draft pick Taichi Ishiyama did not allow a run over two shutout innings.  He gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out two.  He threw a total forty-two pitches.
• Kentaro Kyuko (2 IP, 2 H, 1 SO, 0 R), Taiyo Fujita (2 IP, 1 H, 1 SO, 0 R), and Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi (2 IP, 2 H, 1 SO, 0 R) each threw two shutout innings.
• Akinori Iwamura was the starting DH and batted fourth.  He went 1-for-2 with an RBI: fly out to right in the 2nd inning, two-out solo home run off Kyosuke Takagi in the 4th, walk in the 6th, replaced by a pinch-hitter in the 8th.
• Yasushi Iihara started in left and batted fifth.  He went 2-for-3.

Yomiuri

• Dennis Houlton started the game and tossed two shutout innings while allowing one hit.
• Kyosuke Takagi relieved Houlton and gave up a run on one hit over two innings of work.
• Kentaro Nishimura entered the game in the 8th inning and retired six straight batters.
• Taishi Ota started in center and batted first.  He went 2-for-3: single to center, single to left.

Source: official report (Yakult), Sponichi 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sanspo 2/21/2013, Sanspo 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Sanspo 2/22/2013

===

Nexen (KBO) 2 - Nippon Ham Fighters 4

• Toshiharu Moriuchi started the game and tossed three shutout innings.  He did not allow any hits but did hit a batter.  He faced nine batters and struck out three.
• Hisashi Takeda (9th inning) and Hirotoshi Masui (8th) each tossed perfect innings in relief.  Takeda tossed the 9th inning and struck out two.  He needed only eleven pitches to get through the inning.  Masui topped out at 149km/h.
• Naoki Miyanishi entered the game in the 6th and recorded two strikeouts.
• Yuya Ishii surrendered a solo home run to the lead-off batter in the 7th.  He also struck out three.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sanspo 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013

===

KIA (KBO) 5 - Rakuten Eagles 3

• Takahiro Shiomi started the game and gave up five runs on seven hits over three innings of work.  All five runs scored in the 3rd inning.
• Brandon Duckworth relieved Shiomi and tossed three shutout innings while allowing two hits.
• Andruw Jones was the starting DH and batter fourth.  He went 0-for-2: G5, HBP, DP.
• Ginji started at second and batted fifth.  He went 3-for-4: 1B to center, 1B to left, 1B to left, G3.
• Casey McGehee started at third and batted sixth.  He went 0-for-2: DP, Ks.
• Tetsuro Nishida started at short and batted seventh.  He went 2-for-4: 2B to left, G6, F9, 1B to right.

Source: official report, Sponichi 2/21/2013, Sports Hochi 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013

========== Intra-squad Games ==========

Hiroshima Carp

• Game ended in a 2-2 tie.
• Masamitsu Suzuki started in right and batted eighth.  He hit a two-out, RBI triple to left-center of Kyohei Nakamura in the 2nd inning.
• 4th round draft pick Ko Shimozuru collected a hit and a stolen base.
• Brad Eldred batted fourth for the Whites and hit a run-scoring double off he wall in center in the 1st inning.
• Fred Lewis batted third for the Whites and hit a run-scoring double to left-center in the 6th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013

===

Softbank Hawks

• Whites beat the Reds, 4-1.
• Hayato Terahara started for the Reds and allowed three runs on four hits and four walks over three innings of work.  He threw sixty-three pitches.
• Vicente Padilla started for the Whites started the game and gave up a run (unearned) on two hits over two innings of work.  He topped out at 140km/h.  He also threw three slow curves -- one was clocked at 81km/h.  Padilla also had some difficulties on the mound: he failed to cover first on a grounder to the right side of the infield in the 1st inning; he may have ignored a pick-off play at second base in the 1st inning; and he was called for a balk in the 2nd with runners on first and third.
• 6th round draft pick Hirofumi Yamanaka tossed a shutout inning in relief for the Reds.  He did not allow any hits.
• Bryan LaHair hit a home run off Terahara to lead-off the 3rd inning.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sports Hochi 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013, Sports Hochi 2/22/2013, Sports Hochi 2/22/2013

Yuta Kimura is scheduled to start a practice game against Hanshin on Thursday.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/20/2013

===

The Marines could play some exhibition games during spring camp next year.  Ishigaki city is currently in talks with the team about a possible Ritto Series that involves Rakuten (Kumejima) and Orix (Miyakojima).  The city already has a stadium that should be good enough to host games in (it was built in January 2011).

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013

===

The Marines closed out their camp in Ishigaki, Okinawa today.

Source: Sponichi 2/19/2013

===

Yuki Karakawa will be sent down to Ni-gun because he needs a little more time to rehab his right elbow.  He will likely return to Ichi-gun on March 7 and pitch in a exhibition game against Softbank at YafuOku on March 10.

Source: Sponichi 2/19/2013

===

Naoya Masuda will also be sent down to Ni-gun -- he got a late start after suffering a collapsed lung and is now tossing bullpen sessions with pitch count limits.  Like Karakawa, he too will likely return to Ichi-gun on March 7.

Source: Sponichi 2/19/2013

===

The following players will also be sent down to Ni-gun camp for additional work: Yuta Ohmine, Hiroki Ueno, Shingo Ono, Yoshihiro Ito, 2nd round draft pick Hiroya Kawamitsu, Seth Greisinger, Masatomo Uematsu, Naoya Emura, Keiyo Aomatsu, and Takumi Kobe.

A total twelve players will be reporting to Ni-gun camp in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima on Wednesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

===

Ni-gun camp had the day off today.

===

Naoya Masuda is hoping to throw off-speed pitches during his next bullpen session.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

===

The Marines ended general workouts today by having players (catchers, infielders, and outfielders) throw the ball around the infield.

Source: Sponichi 2/18/2013

===

Shunsuke Watanabe will be a tourist ambassador for his home town Tochigi City in Tochigi prefecture.

Source: Sponichi 2/18/2013

===

As a penalty for losing Saturday's intra-squad game, all players on the Red team were required to run the distance back to the team hotel (about 6.5 kilometers).

Source: Sponichi 2/17/2013

===

Tsutomu Ito named Yoshifumi Okada captain and Shunichi Nemoto vice captain today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/16/2013

===

Yasuhiko Yabuta tossed a full bullpen session today.  He had to cut his last session on the 14th short (he threw just five pitches) because he felt discomfort in his right ankle.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/15/2013

===

A blow up Paegle punching bag was used in the bullpen today -- it was set up in the batter's box during Yoshihisa Naruse's session.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013

===