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The Lions closed out Nango spring camp today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013

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Hirotaka Koishi threw 1,700 pitches during spring camp.

The Lions play two exhibition games against Softbank over the weekend.  Ryoma Nogami will start on Saturday and Yusei Kikuchi on Sunday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013

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Kyohei Nagae left practices early on Thursday because he felt discomfort in his lower back.  He was apparently feeling better today as he participated in early morning workouts.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/22/2013

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The Lions are scheduled to meet 2nd round draft pick Makoto Aiuchi again on the 25th.

Source: Sponichi 2/22/2013

Ryan Spilborghs continues to spend time working out at first base.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013

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1st round draft pick Tatsushi Masuda was sent down to Ni-gun -- he will return to Tokyo on Friday and join the Ni-gun team for workouts in Tokorozawa, Saitama on Saturday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013

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Ryohei Fujiwara was promoted to Ichi-gun camp today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

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Ichi-gun camp had the day off today.

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Dennis Sarfate and Randy Williams worked out for about an hour on their day off today.

Source: Sponichi 2/19/2013

The Lions made a change to their spring camp schedule: they are shifting their off-day from the 20th to the 19th because there is more rain in the forecast.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/18/2013

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Shingo Takeyama was diagnosed with Graves' disease last May and lost ten kilograms.  He was thinking about retiring, but managed to recover and is currently playing while taking medication.

Source: Sponichi 2/18/2013

Brian Sikorski has been spinning his right shoulder on the mound for about twenty years.  It started when he was in high school and he wanted to loosen up after heading to the mound during games in which he started at short.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/16/2013

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Hisanobu Watanabe is thinking about using Ryan Spilborghs as both a right fielder and a first baseman.

Source: Daily Sports 2/16/2013

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

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Brian Sikorski, Dennis Sarfate, Randy Williams, and Toshihiro Iwao worked out for about an hour on their day off today.

Sikorski and Iwao are both expected to pitch in a practice game against Doosan (KBO) on the 16th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013

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Yusei Kikuchi threw six of eight sliders for strikes during his intra-squad game outing on Thursday.  He also recorded two of five strikeouts with his slider.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013

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Ginjiro Sumitani will be appearing in posters for the Tokorozawa Fire Department.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013

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Brian Sikorski will get a look as a starter.  He is scheduled to start a practice game against Doosan (KBO) on the 16th.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/14/2013

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Yusei Kikuchi is scheduled to make an appearance in relief during a practice game against Samurai Japan on the 18th.

Source: Sponichi 2/14/2013

========== Practice Games ==========

Lotte (KBO) vs Seibu Lions

• The Lions beat Lotte, 3-1.
• The Lions scored all three runs in the bottom of the 1st.
• Yusei Kikuchi started the game and tossed three perfect inning.  He also topped out at 149km/h and struck out five.
• Ryoma Nogami relieved Kikuchi and tossed three shutout innings in relief.  He also struck out four.
• Dennis Sarfate retired the side in order in the top of the 9th.

Source: official report, Sports Hochi 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013

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KIA (KBO) vs Nippon Ham Fighters

• Nippon Ham beat KIA, 3-2.
• The offense collected thirteen hits.
• Toshiharu Moriuchi started the game and gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits over two innings of work.  He also struck out one.
• Kazuhito Tadano followed with two shutout innings of work.
• Kenshi Sugiya started in center and batted second.  He went 3-for-5.
• Atsushi Ugumori started in left and batted third.  He went 2-for-3.
• Michel Abreu (tryout) was the starting DH and batted fourth.  He went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
• Keiji Obiki hit a two-out, tie-breaking solo homer to left in the 8th inning.  He also hit into a pinch-hit, bases loaded, inning ending double-play in the 6th.

Source: official report, Daily Sports 2/14/2013, Sports Hochi 2/14/2013, Sanspo 2/14/2013

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

Hiroshima Carp

• Reds beat the Whites, 3-1.
• Kenta Maeda started the game for the Whites and tossed two shutout innings while allowing one hit.  He topped out at 137km/h.
• Takeru Imamura gave up a run on one hit over an inning of work.  He topped out at 140km/h.
• Miguel Socolovich entered the game int he 4th for the Reds and allowed two hits in one inning of work.  He also topped out at 147km/h.
• 4th Ko Shimozuru started in right and batted eighth for the Reds.  He went 3-for-3: single to center in the 2nd off Takeru Imamura, single to left in the 5th off Katsuhiro Nagakawa, and a double to left-center in the 7th off Takayuki Oshima.  He also stole two bases.
• Fred Lewis was the starting DH and batted third for the Reds.  He hit a single to right off Katsuhiro Nagakawa in the 4th and a single to right off Takayuki Oshima in the 6th.

Source: official report, Sponichi 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Sponichi 2/15/2013, Sponichi 2/15/2013, Sports Hochi 2/15/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013

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Yomiuri Giants

• Reds beat the Whites, 5-1.
• Both teams combined for sixteen hits.
• Ryuya Matsumoto started for the Reds and tossed two shutout innings.  He walked Taishi Ota to start the game and picked him off before striking out Tetsuya Matsumoto and Ko Takahashi.  He retired the side in order in the 2nd.  Matsumoto threw a total twenty-seven pitches.
• Shoki Kasahara
• Nobutaka Imamura tossed two shutout innings in relief for the Whites.
• 2nd round draft pick Susumu Orui started at short and batted lead-off for the Reds.  He collected two hits, scored two runs, and stole one base.
• Ryota Wakiya collected two hits, two RBIs, and stole two bases.
• Shigeyuki Furuki went 3-for-3.  Tomoya Inzen had three hits and two RBI.
• Yoshinobu Takahashi was the starting DH and batted third for the Whites.  He hit a home run off Keisuke Kishi in the 7th inning.  He struck out in his first at bat and flied out to short in his second at bat.

Source: Sponichi 2/14/2013, Sponichi 2/14/2013, Sponichi 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Sanspo 2/14/2013, Daily Sports 2/15/2013

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Orix Buffaloes

• Reds blanked the Whites, 1-0.
• Shun Tono started for the Reds.  He tossed two shutout innings while allow two hits.  He topped out at 139km/h and threw twenty-four pitches.
• Yuki Nishi started for the Whites.
• Mitsutaka Goto started at second and batted second for the Reds.
• 3rd round draft pick Torai Fushimi was the starting catcher and batted ninth.  He threw out two runners trying to steal second: Ryoichi Adachi in the 1st inning and Takuya Shimada in the 3rd.
• Takahiro Okada hit a solo home run to right off Yuki Nishi in the 2nd inning.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Sponichi 2/15/2013, Sponichi 2/15/2013, Sports Hochi 2/15/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013, Sanspo 2/15/2013

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Softbank Hawks

• Reds beat the Whites, 2-1.  (Seven innings)
• Shota Takeda started for the Reds and tossed two shutout innings while allowing one hit.  He topped out at 145km/h.
• 1st round draft pick Nao Higashihama started for the Whites and tossed two shutout innings while allowing one hit.  He also walked two, struck out two, threw forty-one pitches, and topped out at 137km/h.
• 6th round draft pick Hirofumi Yamanaka entered the game in the 6th inning for the Whites and tossed two perfect innings.  He threw twenty pitches and topped out at 121km/h.
• Bryan LaHair started at first and batted fourth for the Whites.
• Katsuki Yamazaki (Reds) and Keisuke Kaneko (Whites) each went 2-for-2.

Source: official report, Nikkan Sports 2/13/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013, Sports Hochi 2/14/2013, Sponichi 2/15/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013, Nikkan Sports 12/5/2013

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Samurai Japan candidates Kazuhisa Makita, Hideaki Wakui, and Ginjiro Sumitani closed out their spring camp workouts with Seibu today.  They will head to Miyazaki on Thursday.  Team trainer Yamamoto (山本 健) will be joining them.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/13/2013