The week started hot with two wins and a tie at the Nagoya Dome against Softbank and Orix, but Chunichi ran into a buzzsaw in the PL's best team, the Marines, and were outscored 14-2 in their two loses on the trip to Chiba. With the .500 week Chunichi still holds a 1.5 game lead in the Central League standings. Here's a few notes on the week:
- Scary news translated on yakyubaka.com regarding Takuya Asao's injury status. He was diagnosed with inflamation in his rotator cuff. Fortunately, at this point it doesn't sound like a tear, that's something that could potentially threaten his career or at least be an injury that he wouldn't come back from as the same style of pitcher. I would suggest they keep him out for a lot longer than the two weeks that has been reported. Asao has a lot of talent and is coming off of one of best years I've ever seen or heard about for a reliever. Hopefully this is a wake up call to the manager, though Ochiai is more to blame than Takagi, it would be a shame to waste his talent by rushing him back too soon or continuing to use him as much as they have the last couple years.
- Masahiko Morino hit a 10th inning walkoff home run against Orix last Wednesday for a 2-1 victory. Kenichi Nakata got a no-decision in the game despite pitching 9 innings and giving up only one run.
- Ryosuke Hirata returned to ichi-gun from back issues. He was 3 for 8 with a couple walks in his first three games back.
- Tony Blanco and former Mariner, Wladimir Balentien (now of the Swallows) are tied for the NPB lead in home runs with 12.
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