Seibu Lions vs Chunichi Dragons @ Nagoya Dome - 18:00
Starters: Kishi, Takayuki (SEI) 1-4, 5.09 - Yamauchi, Soma (CHU) 2-2, 4.50

Seibu Lions

Upcoming Dream Match-ups:

June 2 Yomiuri - Norihiro Komada vs Hirohisa Matsunuma
June 13 vs Chunichi - Eiji Kanamori vs Tsuyoshi Yoda
June 15 vs Yokohama - Ken Suzuki vs Hiroki Nomura

Source: official announcement

===

Seibu Tetsudo and Minatomirai-sen announced on Friday that as part of a celebration of the new direct route that runs between Seibu Dome and Yokohama Stadium, trains running to Seibu Dome and Yokohama Stadium will feature Inter-league-theme wraps between May 27 and June 16.  Minatomirai will also sell special discounted train ticket packs that will be good to use when Yokohama and Seibu play Inter-league games in May (28-29) and June (15-16).

Source: official announcement (tickets), official announcement (Minatomirai), official announcement (Seibu)

Rakuten Eagles

Masahiro Tanaka's next start will likely come on the 29th against Hanshin.

Source: Sponichi 5/24/2013

===

Manabu Mima was taken off the active roster on Friday so that he can work through some issues at Ni-gun.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/24/2013

===

A member of Nogizaka 46 will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on July 9 (vs Nippon Ham at Tokyo Dome).  The group is also scheduled to perform a new song that will be released on July  3.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/24/2013, official announcement

Chiba Lotte Marines

Katsuya Kakunaka joined the Ichi-gun team for practices on Friday.  Kakunaka hurt his left hamstring while running to first during a game against Rakuten on May 10.  He is slated to return to the starting line-up on Saturday against Yokohama.

Source: Daily Sports 5/24/2013

===

The Marines announced that they will help host a match-making party for singles during a game on June 22 (vs Nippon Ham).

Source: MariCon, Nikkan Sports 5/24/2013

Orix Buffaloes

Takashi Kamoshida joined general Ichi-gun workouts on Friday.  He will most likely be added to the active roster on Saturday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/24/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters

Hideki Kuriyama did not give reporters any clues on how he plans to use 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani.  Kuriyama will most likely see how Otani is feeling over the next few days before setting a schedule.

Source: Sanspo 5/23/2013

According to Sponichi, over 6,000 fans waited outside of Sapporo Dome on Thursday before the stadium gates opened.

Nikkan Sports reports that 6,617 people were in line when the gates to the stadium opened at about 4:25pm.  Compare that to the 4,015 people that lined up for the home opener on April 5 (vs Softbank).

Source: Sponichi 5/23/2013, Nikkan Sports 5/23/2013

The Fighters sold over 25,000 pre-advance tickets for Thursday's game.

Source: Sponichi 5/23/2013

===

On Wednesday, at forty-years and nine months, Atsunori Inaba joined Yasunori Oshima as the only players in franchise history over forty to hit a grand slam.  Oshima accomplished the feat twice: at forty years and eleven months on September 18, 1991 and forty-three years and six months on May 4, 1994 (NPB record for oldest player to hit a grand slam).

Inaba with the bases loaded when he played for Yakult: 18-for-66, 2 HR, 58 RBI.  With Nippon Ham: 36-for-90, 3 HR, 85 RBI.

Source: Sponichi 5/23/2013

Seibu Lions

Kazuhisa Makita still had some swelling in his right knee on Thursday.  He spent the day getting treatment and did not participate in team practices.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/23/2013

===

The Lions will give Dennis Sarfate a look as the closer.  Tatsuya Oishi will pitch in a regular relief role.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

Softbank Hawks

Takehito Kanazawa's wife gave birth to the couple's second child, a boy weighing 3,840 grams, on Wednesday at 11:56am.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013

Rakuten Eagles

Ryo Hijirisawa has not committed an error since September 22, 2010 (vs Nippon Ham).  On Thursday, he tied Tatsuya Ozeki's PL record for outfielders with 658 consecutive chances without an error.  The CL record of 817 was set by Eiji Fujii.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/23/2013

===

Shinichiro Koyama got a Mohawk-style on Thursday morning.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/23/2013

===

Masahiro Tanaka is the fourth pitcher in PL history to start two separate seasons with a seven-game or more winning streak.

Choji Murata (eleven-game winning streaks in 1981 and 1985), Tai-Yuan Kuo (a ten-game winning streak in 1988 and a nine-game winning streak in 1994), Takayuki Shinohara (a fourteen-game winning streak in 1999 and an eight-game winning streak in 2000), and Tanaka (seven-game winning streaks in 2009 and 2012).

In eleven starts against pitchers born in 1988, Tanaka is now 10-0.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/23/2013

Momoiro Clover Z's overture was played when Tanaka took the mound in the 1st inning on Wednesday.  Funky Monkey Babys' Atohitotsu was played when he took the mound in the 9th.

Source: Sanspo 5/23/2013

===

The Eagles recorded the first Kleenex Stadium sellout of the year on Wednesday -- they sold all the tickets partway through the game at around 8:00pm.

Source: Sponichi 5/23/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

1st round draft pick Takahiro Matsunaga was not available to pitch on Thursday because of tonsilitis and a fever.

Source: Sponichi 5/23/2013

Hiroshima Carp vs Seibu Lions @ Seibu Dome - 18:00
Starters: Nomura, Yusuke (HIR) 1-2, 3.60 - Nogami, Ryoma (SEI) 3-2, 2.70

Attendance: 16553 | Time: 3h30m | Hiroshima leads series, 2-0-0

(continue reading...)

Seibu Lions

Kazuhisa Makita was helped off the field after he took a batted ball off his right leg in the 1st inning of Wednesday night's game against Hiroshima.  He was removed from the game after coaches watched him take his warm-ups before the 2nd inning.  He was later taken to a hospital in Tokorozawa where he was diagnosed with a bruise.  He is considered day-to-day (the team will wait for the swelling to go away before deciding on is next start).

Source: Sports Hochi 5/22/2013, Sponichi 5/22/2013

Yakult Swallows

Takeaki Tokuyama popped a blister on his right middle finger during his start against Nippon Ham on Wednesday.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

===

Ryoji Aikawa could return to the active roster in time for the upcoming Softbank series at Jingu Stadium (May 25-26).  Aikawa dislocated his shoulder during a game against Yokohama on April 6.  He played in his first rehab game on the May 12.

Tony Barnette pitched in a Ni-gun game against Nippon Ham on Wednesday and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  This was his first rehab game since he suffered a strain in his right oblique.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Takahiro Arai was removed on defense in the 12th inning of Wednesday's game against Lotte after he hurt his right ankle while playing defense in the 11th -- Toshiaki Imae hit a ground ball to short and came into contact with Arai's right leg while running to first.  He received ice treatment after the game and was walking around on his own.  He told reporters that he was probably going to be ok.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani could make his debut as a pitcher/hitter either against Yomiuri at Tokyo Dome (June 5, 6) or Yakult at Jingu (June 8, 9).  If/when he does, he will most likely bat seventh in the line-up.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/22/2013

Otani threw twenty-four pitches in the bullpen today at Sapporo Dome.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/22/2013

Seibu Lions

According to Sponichi, the San Diego Padres may have an interest in Kazuhisa Makita.  Makita has said in the past that if given the opportunity, would like a shot to pitch in the Majors at some point in the future.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

Softbank Hawks

Shota Takeda was taken off the active roster today to get extra work at Ni-gun.  Vicente Padilla will most likely get his start on the 26th against Yakult at Jingu.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013

Rakuten Eagles

In ten starts against pitchers born in 1988 (his birth year), Masahiro Tanaka is 9-0.

Source: Sanspo 5/22/2013

Orix Buffaloes

If 1st round draft pick Takahiro Matsuba continues to pitch well, the Buffaloes may release some merchandise with his name on it.

Source: Sanspo 5/22/2013

Hiroshima Carp vs Seibu Lions @ Seibu Dome - 18:00
Starters: Otake, Kan (HIR) 4-1, 1.71 - Makita, Kazuhisa (SEI) 4-2, 1.95

Attendance: 17202 | Time: 3h19m | Hiroshima leads series, 1-0-0

(continue reading...)

Nippon Ham Fighters

Brian Wolfe threw thirty-five pitches in the bullpen on Tuesday.  He told reporters he was back to about eighty percent and would work on the remaining twenty percent by taking things day-by-day.

Source: Daily Sports 5/21/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani threw thirty-two pitches off the mound at Sapporo Dome on Monday before moving to the bullpen to throw another fifty-six pitches.  He is slated to make the first start of his Ichi-gun career on the 23rd against Yakult at Sapporo Dome.

Otani has not played in any Ichi-gun games since he started a Ni-gun game against Seibu on the 16th.

Source: Sanspo 5/21/2013

Sponichi adds that Otani threw twelve pitches to a standing catcher and twenty pitches to a squatting catcher when testing the mound at Sapporo Dome on Monday.

Source: Sponichi 5/21/2013

The media learned on Monday that the Fighters will not nominate Otani for the Fresh All-Star Game because they consider him an Ichi-gun player and as such, feel he should only focus on the Ichi-gun All-Star Game.

Source: Sponichi 5/21/2013

Seibu Lions

Ryoma Nogami threw thirty pitches in the bullpen on Tuesday (about ten fewer than usual).  He is scheduled to start a game against Hiroshima on the 23rd.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/21/2013

===

At about forty pitches, Yusei Kikuchi threw about ten more pitches than usual during his pre-game bullpen session on Monday.

Source: Sanspo 5/21/2013

Softbank Hawks

The Hawks recorded ten or more runs in two consecutive games -- twelve runs on May 19 and ten runs on the 20.  The last time they managed a similar feat was in 2010 when they scored fourteen runs on July 31 and twelve runs on August 1.

Source: Sponichi 5/21/2013

Rakuten Eagles

Scouts from the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are expected to attend Wednesday's game against Yomiuri at Kleenex Stadium.

Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to start for the Eagles, Hirokazu Sawamura for the Giants.

Source: Daily Sports 5/21/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

Seth Greisinger was taken off the active roster on Tuesday with tightness in his right shoulder.  Kazunari Abe is scheduled to take Greisinger's next start on Wednesday against Hanshin.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/21/2013

===

Yuji Nishino struck out twelve batters in 8.1 innings of work on Monday and became the first pitcher taken during the Ikusei draft to record ten or more strikeouts in a game.

Source: Sponichi 5/21/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters

Dai-Kang Yoh became the seventh player in NPB history since the start of the two-league format to record multiple hits in nine straight games.  Yoh has also recorded multiple hit in eleven games this month.  The CL high of sixteen in one game was set by four players, most recently by Hisayoshi Chono in August 2012.  The PL high of fifteen was set six times by five players.

Source: Sponichi 5/20/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani is scheduled to toss a bullpen session today.

Source: Sanspo 5/20/2013

Hokkaido Bunka Hoso (UHB) plans to have two TV cameras assigned to Otani for his debut start as pitcher on the 23rd against Yakult.

Source: Sponichi 5/20/2013

Seibu Lions

Hideaki Wakui lost his spot in the starting rotation after another poor outing on Sunday.  He spoke to reporters after the game and seemed to be a little lost.

"I am not sure what I need to do.  I do not know when I will pitch next, but I will think about it today and tomorrow," said Wakui on Sunday.

Source: Sponichi 5/20/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

Katsuya Kakunaka was taken off the active roster on the 11th with pain in his left hamstring.  While he is eligible to return to the active roster on Tuesday, he only recently started taking soft-toss batting practice and will likely require more time.

Source: Sanspo 5/20/2013

Orix Buffaloes

The Buffaloes made a mistake on Sunday when they announced that umpire Tatsuya Yamamura was working his 1,500th game.  After the game, team officials apologized for Yamamura for the error.  Sunday's game was Yamamura's 1,499th game.

Source: Sanspo 5/20/2013

Hanshin Tigers vs Seibu Lions @ Seibu Dome - 18:00
Starters: Standridge, Jason (HAN) 3-3, 1.52 - Kikuchi, Yusei (SEI) 4-1, 1.12

Attendance: 21882 | Time: 2h58m | Series tied, 1-1-0

(continue reading...)