The Chiba Lotte Marines tied up Japan's Pacific League playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
Game 5 will be Thursday and should be a matchup of Chiba's Yoshihisa Naruse (16-1, 1.817) versus Nippon Ham's Yu Darvish (15-5, 1.820).
Darvish struck out 210 in 207 2/3 IP and help opposing batters to a .174 average. Naruse had 138 Ks in 173 1/3 IP and held batters to a .211 average.
I was under the impression that the first three games would be in Sapporo and the final two in Chiba, but apparently all five games will be in Sapporo.
Nah, it's been "home-field advantage to the higher seed" for all games this year. They keep changing the rules, of course.
I take it that means you didn't come to Japan for the playoffs this year? I meant to ask, since I finally got around to moving here a few months ago, but still haven't been up to Hokkaido at all, sadly.
I take it that means you didn't come to Japan for the playoffs this year? I meant to ask, since I finally got around to moving here a few months ago, but still haven't been up to Hokkaido at all, sadly.
They change the rules frequently don't they?
No trip to Japan this year. You know there are something like 40 flights a day between Haneda and Sapporo and they don't cost that much.
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