Such a Drag …

Many of my friends know I lived in Nagoya for 11 years … but I don’t play favorites

Many might recall the Chunichi Dragons’ 2007 run to a Japan Series title. Skipper Hiromitsu Ochiai sent the Yomiuri Giants scrambling when he pulled a switcheroo with his starting pitchers in the Central League Climax Series.
The move caught the Giants off balance and they never recovered. Ochiai was expected to send southpaw Chen Wei-yin to the mound on Friday, but his surprise starter was righty Kazuki Yoshimi.
The Giants, expecting Chen, had their vs.-lefty lineup and the Dragons walked away with a 7-4 win at Tokyo Dome.
Yoshimi (1-1) was sharp for four innings, holding the Giants down. But Yomiuri broke loose for four runs in the fifth. Luckily for the Dragons, cleanup hitter Tony Blanco came up with two clutch singles on a three-hit, three-RBI night to pace the offense.
Giants rookie Hisayoshi Chono, made a pair of strong throws to the plate, but missed the cut-off man both times, allowing runners to take extra bases, and Dicky Gonzalez (1-2), who surrendered five runs on nine hits and two walks in 4.1 innings, was saddled with the loss.

SWALLOWS 8, TIGERS 3
Aaron Guiel hit his CL-leading sixth homer, and Atsushi Kinugawa hit his first in two years as Yakult pounded Hanshin at Koshien Stadium.
Each drove in three runs to back Tony Barnette (2-0), who allowed three runs over three innings to win his second start.

BAYSTARS 5, CARP 0
Daisuke Miura, whose poor spring and dicey shoulder had him on the farm at the start of the season, worked six scoreless innings, scattering four hits and a walk, and two relievers finished off Hiroshima in host Yokohama’s first shutout of the season.
Terrmel Sledge’s popfly double in the first was enough for Miura, who fanned seven in his season debut.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

MARINES 8, LIONS 3
Takumi Kobe replaced Kazuya Fukuura -- after the DH fouled a ball off his knee -- and blasted a three-run homer in a six-run first inning against Sawamura Award winner Hideaki Wakui (2-1) as Lotte paddled Seibu at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Fukuura was deactivated after the game.

HAWKS 6, FIGHTERS 0
Munenori Kawasaki had three hits, including a homer, and two RBIs, and Toshiya Sugiuchi (3-1) scattered 10 hits with no walks to notch his first shutout since June 6 as SoftBank blanked Nippon Ham.
Last year’s PL champions fell to 3-11.

BUFFALOES 8, EAGLES 3
Shogo Akada homered twice and drove in four, and Alex Cabrera also went deep as Orix beat up Rakuten at Kleenex Stadium Miyagi.