The bitter end ...

Closer Fujikawa gives up 3-run shot as Tigers lose

Perhaps it was the pressure to win out to close the season. Perhaps it was just a poorly located fastball.
Whatever it was, it resulted in a three-run homer off the bat of Yokohama slugger Shuichi Murata and 4-3 victory for the lowly BayStars over the Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium on Thursday.
The Tigers, second behind the Chunichi Dragons in the Central League, went into their home finale with a magic number of seven. Now, the Dragons’ magic number to win their eighth CL title is one.
Kyuji Fujikawa (3-4) couldn’t seal the deal. He walked two in front of Murata, a two-time home run king, and the Yokohama slugger tomahawked a fastball out to left to make it 4-3. It was his second longball of the night and his 26th this year.
“I just didn’t have it,” Fujikawa said.
The Tigers put two on with two down in the ninth to bring up Keiichi Hirano, who had three hits, but he grounded out to end the game.
Craig Brazell had an RBI single in the fourth to give the Tigers the lead, and Takashi Toritani’s scoring flyball in the fifth, his NPB record 98th RBI as a shortstop, gave Hanshin a two-run cushion.
But Fujikawa blew the save, and Hanshin has to hope Chunichi drops its season finale at home on Saturday.
Hanshin first-year import Matt Murton extended his CL record for hits in a season to 207, three shy of Ichiro Suzuki’s NPB mark.
Also, it was the final home game for veteran catcher Akihiro Yano, who helped lead the Tigers to CL titles in 2003 and ’05. The 41-year-old has been on the farm most of the season because injuries have taken their toll.

CARP 1, SWALLOWS 0
Kenta Maeda (15-7) tossed a six-hitter and Yoshiyuki Ishihara knocked in the game’s only run in the second inning as Hiroshima topped Yakult at The Zoom.
The righty fanned four, while walking one and hitting one for his fourth shutout of the season.

In the Pacific League, the Marines and Buffaloes were rained out at Chiba Marine Stadium.