On the Farm: Chunichi Dragons v Hiroshima Carp (Game 3) March 24th

Decided to change the name of these to make them a bit easier to follow. "On the Farm" posts will be 2-gun/二軍/farm team game run-downs or maybe some news about them. For the time being we'll stick with just match reports.

The main event is today, but we'll get there later with some predictions and thoughts.

Game 3 against Hiroshima was a low scoring 1-1. The same "verge of the first-team" guys were there today in Fukuda and Morino while Hitoki "Our Save-ior" Iwase made an appearance in his bid to get back to fitness. Tatsuro Hamada, touted for starting-rotation duties when the team returns to Nagoya started proceedings.

Pitching

Hamada, affectionately known as Hama-chan, took to the starting mound today and threw down 3 scoreless innings getting 3 strike-outs and conceding only 3 hits against 13 batters. A decent effort from the lefty.

Iwase, usually a closer by trade, took the next inning taking 12 balls to get his 3 batters out in one scoreless inning. Yuta Mutoh, a regular bullpen option in the past for the first team also kept the batters honest striking out 2 and conceding one hit in 2 scoreless innings. Takeshi Kaneko however was the unfortunate one to concede a run in this game, unfortunately off a wild pitch, but took 2 strikeouts back to the shed for his 1 inning. Aichi native, Daisuke Sobue saw off three batters in his one, and development player Takuya Mitsuma made the save striking out one and walking one.

Not too much to complain about apart from Kaneko who at least seems to be improving ever so slightly.

Batting

Masahiko Morino had only 2 at bats today as the DH and drew two walks for his trouble. Nobumasa Fukuda arrived at the plate four times for one hit and a strikeout. The hero of the day
with the bat however would be catcher Masato Matsui who sent Tatsuya Tani home to score in the 4th inning. The somewhat seasoned catcher hit two and struck out once in his three at bats.

Not a whole lot of note today, but the experienced lads that should be on the edges of the 1-gun are performing at this level reasonably well, as they should. No younger players particularly standing out, specifically with the bat, but there are some glimmers of hope.

In other 2-gun news, #1 draft pick Shinnosuke Ogasawara is reportedly in line for a starting position against Softbank on the 27th of this month. Although he performed admirably as a reliever for the first team in pre-season, it has been decided that the rookie will hone his game with older Ogasawara on the farm.