‘Complete game win to complete game shutout’ Yokohama chases leader Hanshin by 0.5 games…Bauer to start 25th, aim for top spot

Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yokohama has won two consecutive complete games against leader Hanshin. The two teams are separated by 0.5 games. Yokohama will challenge for first place with foreign pitcher Bauer on May 25.

Yokohama won 2-0 against Hanshin on April 24 at Yokohama Stadium in Japan. Yokohama extended its winning streak to 12 games against Hanshin at Yokohama Stadium.

Yokohama starting pitcher Katsuki Azuma threw 116 pitches over nine innings, allowing five hits, striking out nine and walking none. It was his second complete game of the season. His seventh win of the season. Tied for the team lead in wins.

While Azuma was on the mound, Yokohama took the lead in the first inning on Sano’s RBI single with runners on first and third. In the sixth, Maki doubled up the middle with runners on first and third to make it 2-0.

Azuma was hit by back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs, but two fly outs and an infield grounder got him out of the jam. He was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth inning, but got a grounder to third to end the inning. He got the final batter to fly out to center field to end the game.

The loss snapped a four-game losing streak for Hanshin. They are now half a game behind Yokohama, who had a lead of up to 6.5 games. Scoring has been slow lately. They have scored just one goal in their last three games. Hanshin suffered a one-run complete game loss to Yokohama’s Shota Yamanaga in the previous game.바카라사이트

Yokohama has announced Bauer as its starting pitcher against Hanshin on May 25. Bauer, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, is 4-2 with a 4.00 ERA this season. He has adjusted well to Japanese baseball with three straight wins, allowing two runs in eight innings, two runs in seven innings, and one run in nine innings.