===

The Tigers closed out Ginoza spring camp today.

For the second year in a row, Ryota Arai was named spring camp MVP by Yutaka Wada.

The team drew 67,400 fans during spring camp (an increase of 9,100 over last year).

Source: Sponichi 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013, Sponichi 2/22/2013

===

Naoto Tsuru could be used as both a starter and reliever this season.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013

===

Ryo Watanabe canceled his bullpen session on Thursday because of tightness in his right shoulder.  He will be shut down for a couple days.

Source: Sanspo 2/22/2013

===

Former Hanshin manager Akinobu Mayumi visited Ni-gun camp on Thursday and spent some time working with Takahiro Arai on his hitting.

Source: Daily Sports 2/22/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami was told about Thursday's practice game against the Chiba Lotte Marines and wanted to watch, but did not because he was in the middle of weight training -- he apparently does not like cutting his workouts short.

Source: Sponichi 2/22/2013, Daily Sports 2/22/2013

===

Yamato is probably the lead candidate to win the everyday job in center.  He is 8-for-19 in four pre-season games (through Wednesday).

Source: Sanspo 2/21/2013

===

Masashi Nohara is 6-for-13 in four pre-season games (through Wednesday).

Source: Sanspo 2/21/2013

===

The Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium will run an exhibit on the Spring Koshien between February 23 and April 7.  Memorabilia from last year's tournament will be put on display.

Source: Sanspo 2/21/2013

========== 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

===

Minoru Iwata is scheduled to pitch in a practice game against Lotte on Thursday.

Source: Sanspo 2/20/2013

===

Takahiro Arai's workouts on Tuesday lasted about four hours and included playing catch at a distance of about forty meters, swinging the bat, and shoulder/trunk strengthening exercises.  He is currently taking things day-by-day.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami tossed batting practice on Tuesday at about seventy to eighty percent.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013

Special spring camp instructor Tatsuro Hirooka is worried about Fujinami's mechanics and feels the rookie could do some serious harm to himself if the problems are not addressed.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013

Three of the thirty-two pitches Fujinami threw during batting practice on Tuesday were cutters.  The rest were fastballs.

Fujinami is next scheduled to toss something similar to situational batting practice on the 24th.  If he continues to make good progress, he could pitch in a practice game against Seibu on March 3.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

Of the seventeen pitches Fujinami threw to Issei Morita during batting practice on Tuesday, eight were balls.  And of the fifteen pitches he threw to 4th round draft pick Shinya Azuhata, four were balls.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/20/2013

Fujinami could pitch in the following games: exhibition game against Lotte on March 7, exhibition game against Yokohama on March 15, exhibition game against Orix on March 22, Western League game against Hiroshima on March 28, regular season game against Chunichi on April 3.

Source: Sanspo 2/20/2012

===

The Giants, Dragons, Swallows, and Carp had scouts in the stands on Tuesday.

Source: Daily Sports 2/20/2013

========== Practice Games ==========

Nippon Ham Fighters 2 - Yakult Swallows 2

Nippon Ham

• Hiroshi Kisanuki started he game and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk over three innings of work.  Both runs scored after Kisanuki recorded two outs in the third inning.  He topped out at 144km/h.
• Dustin Molleken tossed a shutout inning in relief.  He hit 150+km/h on consecutive pitches.
• Yuya Taniguchi started in right and batted third.  He went 0-for-4 with an RBI.
• Michel Abreu was the starting DH and batted fourth.  He went 2-for-4.  He also played some first.

Yakult

• The offense recorded seven hits.
• Masanori Ishikawa started he game and did not allow any runs or hits over two innings of work.  He hit one batter.
• Orlando Roman relieved Ishikawa and gave up a run on two hits and one HBP over two innings of work.
• Tony Barnette tossed a perfect seventh.
• Kenichi Matsuoka pitched the last two innings and gave up a run on two hits and a walk.  He struck out one.
• Yuhei started in center and batted lead-off.  He went 2-for-4.
• Akinori Iwamura started at third and batted third.  He went 3-for-3 with a double.
• With runners on first and second and two out in the 3rd inning, Wladimir Balentien hit an RBI single to left off Hiroshi Kisanuki.

Source: official report (Nippon Ham), official report (Yakult), NIkkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Sanspo 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013

===

Hanshin Tigers 4 - Yomiuri Giants 2

Hanshin

• Tatsuya Kojima started the game and allowed a run over four innings of work.  With runners on first and second and one out in the 1st inning, he gave up an RBI single to Jose Lopez.
• Kazuo Ito tossed two shutout inning.
• Kazuya Takamiya and Masanori Fujihara each tossed an inning and did not allow any runs.
• Yamato started in center and batted second.  He hit an RBI single to left in the 2nd inning and a single to left in the 6th inning.
• Matt Murton started in left and batted fifth.  He went 1-for-2.  He was removed after four innings.
• Brooks Conrad was the starting DH and batted sixth.  He went 1-for-1 with two walks.
• Masashi Nohara started at third and batted seventh.  He went 2-for-4: RBI double to left in the 2nd and a single to right in the 3rd.

Yomiuri

• Ryuya Matsumoto started the game and gave up three runs on five hits and four walks.
• Fuminori Yokogawa hit a single to right in the 6th inning and a single to right in the 8th inning.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Sanspo 2/20/2013, Daily Sports 2/20/2013, Daily Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sanspo 2/21/2013, Sanspo 2/21/2013, Daily Sports 2/21/2013, Daily Sports 2/21/2013

===

LG (KBO) 1 - Yokohama Bay Stars 9

• Kai-Wen Cheng started the game and tossed two shutout innings while allowing two hits (including one infield hit).
• Yoshitomo Tsutsugo started at third and batted clean-up.  He went 3-for-4 with three RBI.  He was a home run away from the cycle.  He hit a single to right in his second at bat, an RBI triple to center in his third at bat, and a two-run double to left in his fourth at bat.
• Masayuki Kuwahara also drove in three runs.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Daily Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sports Hochi 2/21/2013

===

SK (KBO) vs Chunichi Dragons

• Cancelled

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

===

KIA (KBO) 3 - Rakuten Eagles 5

• Rakuten pitchers walked seven hitters.
• Yoshinao Kamata started the game and allowed one run on four hits over three innings of work.  He threw fifty pitches and struck out five.  With runners on first and second and two out in the 3rd inning, he gave up a bloop RBI single to left.  He topped out at 140km/h.
• Satoshi Nagai relieved Kamata and gave up two runs on two hits over three innings of work.  He threw forty-eight pitches and struck out three.  He issued a two-out walk in the 6th inning and then surrendered a home run.
• Darrell Rasner tossed a shutout inning in relief.
• Yusuke Kosai started at first and batted third.  He went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.  With a runner on third and two out in the 3rd, he hit a home run to right.
• Andruw Jones was the starting DH and batted fourth.  He went 0-for-2: strikeout, strikeout, walk.
• Casey McGehee started at third and batted sixth.  He went 0-for-2: ground out to short, double play

Source: official announcement, Sponichi 2/20/2013, Sports Hochi 2/20/2013, Sports Hochi 2/20/2013, Nikkkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Sports Hochi 2/21/2013

===

Goyang (KBFL) - Hanshin Tigers (Ni-gun)

• 2nd round draft pick Fumiya Hojo started at short and batted sixth.  He went 0-for-4.

Source: Sanspo 2/21/2013

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

Orix Buffaloes

• Whites beat the Reds, 4-1.
• 1st round draft pick Takahiro Matsuba pitched an inning and gave up three runs on two hits.  He served up a home run to Aarom Baldiris to lead off the 6th inning, and then two outs later, with a runner on second, surrendered his second long ball of the inning to Masato Fukae.
• Mike Schultz (tryout) tossed a perfect inning in relief.
• Ikusei 2nd round draft pick Hiroki Nishikawa collected two hits and stole two bases.  He hit a single through the left side in his first at bat in the 2nd inning and stole second.  He tried to steal third and was thrown out.  He hit a single to right in the 5th and stole second.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Sponichi 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Sports Hochi 2/21/2013

===

Softbank Hawks

• Reds blanked the Whites, 3-0.
• Ryota Igarashi tossed a shutout inning in relief and recorded two strikeouts.  He topped out at 142km/h.
• Bryan LaHair collected two hits: single to center in his first at bat, single to left in his second at bat.
• Yuki Yanagita started in center and batted fifth for the Whites.  He hit a double to right off Shintaro Ejiri in his second trip to the plate.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Sponichi 2/20/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013, Sponichi 2/20/2013, Sponichi 2/21/2013

===

Kosuke Fukudome took some grounders at short during fielding practices today.  This does not mean he will be playing short -- this is just something he likes to do to help him prepare.

Fukudome began his career as a shortstop with the Chunichi Dragons.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

===

Takahiro Arai is Yutaka Wada's top choice to bat clean-up.  But if Arai is needs more time for rehab (right shoulder, back), then Takashi Toritani and Ryota Arai are possibilities.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

Brooks Conrad could be another possibility.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/19/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami and his parents visited three former high school teammates -- Gen Mizumoto, Satoshi Mega, and Minoru Hirohata -- at Asia University spring camp in Shimajiri, Okinawa on the team's day off on Monday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

Wada wants to check on Fujinami's pitches from the batter's box.

Source: Daily Sports 2/19/2013

===

Conrad's Sanspo Promise: record one of every kind of hit from both the left and right side of the plate.

If he makes good on the promise, Sanspo will present him with children's clothing from Miki House.

Source: Sanspo 2/19/2013

Ichi-gun and Ni-gun camp had the day off today.

===

Kohei Shibata spent some time taking batting practice against a pitching machine on his day off today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami is scheduled to toss batting practice to two batters on Tuesday.

Source: Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

4th round draft pick Shinya Azuhata worked out on his day off today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

===

Pitching coach Kiyooki Nakanishi called an emergency meeting for pitchers after Sunday's game.  The staff gave up twenty-two runs in two games over the weekend (eleven to Chunichi on Saturday and eleven to Rakuten on Sunday).

Source: Sponichi 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

Hayata Ito (failed to catch a fly ball in the 7th) and Masashi Nohara (made a bad throw to first in the 8th) were required to take extra fielding practice after the game on Sunday.

Source: Sanspo 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

Ryota Arai is 7-for-15 with four RBI in three games.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013

===

Shunsuke was immediately yanked from yesterday's intra-squad game when he failed to lay down a sac bunt with runners on first and second and no out in the 4th inning.

Source: Sanspo 2/17/2013

===

Yutaka Wada told reporters today that Takahiro Arai will report to Ni-gun spring camp until the 28th so that he can focus on rehabbing his right shoulder and back.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/17/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami tossed his bullpen session on Saturday with an umpire behind home plate.  Bullpen catcher Daiki Katayama stood in the left-handed batter's box partway through the session.  Of the sixty-three pitches he threw, four were cutters.

Source: Sanspo 2/17/2013

========== Practice Games ==========

Yokohama Bay Stars 3 - Yakult Swallows 5

Yokohama

• Yuki Kuniyoshi started the game and gave up three runs on four hits over two innings of work.
• Kenji Tsuchiya tossed two shutout innings in relief while allowing one hit.
• Yoshitomo Tsutsugo started at third and batted fourth.  He went 2-for-3.  He hit a two-out three-run double in the 3rd inning.
• Nyjer Morgan reached base three times on two infield hits and an HBP.

Yakult

• The offense scored five runs on ten hits.
• Masato Nakazawa started the game.  He tossed two shutout innings before giving up three runs in his third inning of work.  He surrendered three hits, walked/hit two, and struck out one.
• Ryosuke Yagi relieved Nakazawa and tossed two shutout innings while allow two hits.  He also struck out one and walked two.
• Ryo Hirai did not allow a run over two innings of work.  He gave up two hits, topped out at 148km/h, and struck out two.
• Yuhei started in right and batted sixth.  He went 3-for-3: single to left in the 2nd, two-run home run in the 3rd, double to left-center in the 5th inning, walk.  He was a triple short of the cycle.  He also stole one base.
• 6th round draft pick Ryota Yachi started at short and batted eighth.  He went 2-for-3: single to left in the 3rd inning and a single to right in the 5th.

Source: official report (Yakult), Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Daily Sports 2/17/2013, Sanspo 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

Rakuten Eagles 11 - Hanshin Tigers 1

Rakuten

• Yasunori Kikuchi started the game and gave up one run over three innings of work.
• Wataru Karashima relieved Kikuchi and tossed three shutout innings while allowing two hits.
• Hiroyuki Fukuyama tossed a shutout inning in relief.  He faced four batters (he gave up a two-out double) and needed just nine pitches to get out of the inning.
• Andruw Jones was the starting DH and batted fourth.  He led off the 2nd inning with a single over Tsuyoshi Nishioka's head.
• Casey McGehee started at third and batted sixth.  With runners on first and second and no out in the 2nd, he hit a game-tying RBI double to right of Takumi Akiyama.
• Tetsuro Nishida started at short and batted seventh.  He went 3-for-3 with one walk and two RBI: sac fly to right, double to right, single to left, RBI single to right, walk.

Hanshin

• The offense scored one run on six hits.
• Takumi Akiyama started the game and gave up two runs on three hits over three innings of work.  He topped out at 142km/h.
• Akira Iwamoto relieved Akiyama and tossed three shutout innings while allowing two hits.  He also struck out two, including Andruw Jones looking.  He topped out at 140km/h.
• Kazuya Takamiya entered the game in the 7th and gave up three runs over an inning of work.  He faced nine batters and gave up three hits and two walks.  He also threw two wild pitches.
• 3rd round draft pick Kojiro Tanabo entered the game in the 8th and gave up four runs on three hits over 0.2 innings of work.
• Masanori Fujihara gave up two runs over 1.1 innings of work.  He faced seven batters and allowed two hits and two walks.  He also threw one wild pitch.
• Tsuyoshi Nishoka started at second and batted third.  He went 0-for-2.
• Ryota Arai started at first and batted clean-up.  He went 2-for-4: two-out RBI single to center in the 1st inning and single to right in the 6th inning.

Source: official report (Rakuten), Sports Hochi 2/17/2013, Sports Hochi 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Daily Sports 2/17/2013, Daily Sports 2/17/2013, Sanspo 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013, Sports Hochi 2/18/2013, Sports Hochi 2/18/2013, Sansp 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

Doosan (KBO) 2 - Seibu Lions 4

• Ken Togame started the game and did not allow a run over three innings of work.  He gave up one hit, topped out at 144km/h, and struck out seven, including six in a row between the 1st and 3rd innings.
• Yosuke Okamoto tossed three shutout innings in relief.  He allowed one hit.
• Shingo Takeyama led off the 5th inning with a home run to left.
• Ryan Spilborghs hit an RBI double.
• Shogo Akiyama collected a tie-breaking, pinch-hit two-run triple in the 8th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

===

KIA (KBO) 4 - Chunichi Dragons 5

• Shinji Iwata started the game and gave up a run on four hits over three innings of work.  He also walked/hit three.
• Akifumi Takahashi tossed a shutout inning in relief.  He allowed one hit, walked one, and threw a wild pitch.
• Shuhei Takahashi went 1-for-3 with a walk.
• Yusuke Matsui started in left and batted fifth.  He went 2-for-4 with two RBI.  With runners on second and third and no out in the 5th, he cleared the bases with a double to left.

Source: official report, Sanspo 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

Ni-gun: Seibu Lions 1 - Hanshin Tigers 6

Hanshin

• Daiki Kiyohara started the game and did not allow a run over three innings of work.  He threw thirty-four pitches and gave up one hit.
• 2nd round draft pick Fumiya Hojo started at short and batted seventh.  He went 1-for-4 with an RBI.  With runners on first and second and one out in the 8th, he hit an RBI single to single to center.

Source: Daily Sports 2/17/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

Sega Sammy (Industrial League) 7 - Ni-gun Yakult Swallows 2

•  The pitching staff allowed seven runs on fourteen hits.
• Masato Furuno started the game and gave up three runs on five hits and one walk over two innings of work.  He also struck out one.
• Ryohei Kiya relieved Furuno and tossed two shutout innings while allowing two hits.  He also struck out five.
• Takanori Sato started in center and batted third.  He went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.

Source: official report

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

Chiba Lotte Marines

• Whites beat the Reds, 3-2.  Seven innings.
• Yoshihisa Naruse (Reds) and Takahiro Fujioka (Whites) were both starters and did not allow a hit or a run over two innings of work.
• 1st round draft pick Takahiro Matsunaga entered the game in the 5th inning and struck out the side on fifteen pitches.  He topped out at 143km/h.
• 4th round draft pick Shohei Kato started in left and batted second.  He went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases.
• Naoya Emura hit a walk-off single through the left-side in the bottom of the 7th.

Source: official report, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

===

Softbank Hawks

• Whites blanked the Reds, 6-0.  Eight innings.
• Whites scored six runs on seventeen hits.  All players in the starting line-up had at least one hit.
• Brian Falkenborg started the game for the Whites and tossed a shutout inning.  He allowed one hit and topped out at 145km/h.
• Sho Iwasaki started for the Reds and also tossed a shutout inning.
• 1st round draft pick Nao Higashihama entered the game in the 6th for the Reds and tossed a shutout inning.  He faced five batters, allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out one.  Higashihama retired the first two batters in order before allowing a single to center to 3rd round draft pick Tomoki Takata and walking Yuya Hasegawa.  He ended the inning by getting Bryan LaHair to ground out to second.
• 6th round draft pick Hirofumi Yamanaka did not allow a run or hit over two innings of work for the Whites.
• 3rd round draft pick Tomoki Takata started at short and batted second for the Whites.  He went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.  He hit a double off Brian Falkenborg in the 1st, an RBI single to center off Yoshiaki Fujioka in the 3rd, and a single to center off Nao Higashihama in the 6th.
• Hidenori Tanoue and Atsushi Fukumoto played for the Whites and collected three hits.
• Kyohei Kamezawa went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Source: official report, Sponichi 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/17/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/18/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

===

Nippon Ham Fighters

• Game ended in a tie, 8-8.
• 3rd round draft pick Yohei Kagiya entered the game in the 3rd inning for the Whites and tossed two shutout innings while allowing one hit.  He topped out at 146km/h.  Of the ten pitchers that appeared in the game (both sides), he was the only one that did not allow any runs.
• 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Eiichi Koyano (Whites) in the 4th inning and hit a single through the left side off Keisuke Tanimoto.  He also ran from first to third on a single to right by Micah Hoffpauir.  After that: double to right in the 5th off Masaru Saito; strikeout looking in the 7th; and strikeout swinging in the 9th.
• Eiichi Koyano was the starting DH and batted third for the Whites.  He flied out to second in his lone at bat.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/17/2013, Daily Sports 2/17/2013, Sponichi 2/17/2013, Sports Hochi 2/18/2013, Sanspo 2/18/2013

===

The Tigers went over signal plays behind closed doors for about thirty-five minutes during workouts on Friday.

Source: Sanspo 2/16/2013

===

Ryoma Matsuda felt some tightness in his back on Friday and eased up on his workouts.  He will be shut down for the current block of spring camp and will begin throwing again on the 19th.

Source: Sanspo 2/16/2013

===

1st round draft Shintaro Fujinami will take a seat next to Yutaka Wada and in front of pitching coach Kiyooki Nakanishi during Sunday's intra-squad game.  The starting pitchers will take seats next to Fujinami once they are taken out of the game.

Source: Daily Sports 2/16/2013

===

3rd round draft pick Kojiro Tanabo is scheduled to pitch in a practice game against Rakuten on the Sunday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/16/2013

===

Katsuya Nomura is not too worried about the offense after all the upgrades that were made during the winter, but is worried about the pitching staff.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/16/2013, Sponichi 2/16/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/16/2013