The season could not have started much better, historically dominant pitching and solid hitting translated to a 5-1-1 record over the first nine days of the season. Here are some highlights:
- The Dragons shut out their opponents 4 times in the first 6 games and have only given up 6 total runs in the 7 games so far.
- They currently lead the Cental League in team batting average (.258) and team ERA (0.84 Wow!)
- The middle of the order (Morino, Wada, Hirata) is producing. Morino has 6 RBI already including some clutch game-winning RBIs.
- Araki and Ibata have been getting on base a lot. .384 OBP for Araki and an even .500 OBP for Ibata.
- Blanco is banging on the door for more playing time with 3 H, 1 HR and 3 RBI in only 9 plate appearances. Apparently Takagi is thinking of bringing Blanco into games earlier, around the 5th inning as defensive replacement. That still doesn't make any sense to me, when you can have Blanco in all game, then you can use Yamasaki as a pinch hitter as well. Morino is your defensive replacement at first anyway.
- The rotation for the first go-round was Yoshimi, Kawakami, Yamamoto, Nakata, Yamauchi.
- Starting pitching was good in every game up until last night when Kawakami was forced to leave the game in the first inning with a back injury. The bullpen has been good as well. Shinji Tajima, pitching in long relief, has yet to give up a run over 7 innings and Iwase has 3 saves and given up only one baserunner over 4 innings.
- Maximo Nelson and Enyelbert Soto may be back as soon as May. Soto has already pitched an inning at ni-gun.
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