Daisuke Matsuzaka came through with another huge win.
Matsuzaka struck out seven while giving up two runs on six hits over eight innings Sunday as the Seibu Lions defeated the Chunichi Dragons 4-2 in Game 6 of the Japan Series to force a decisive Game 7 on Monday.
Matsuzaka, who went 10-6 in the regular season, is arguably the best pitcher in Japanese baseball. He led Japan to a 6-3 win over gold medal winners Cuba at the Athens Olympics.
"We had our backs to the wall and I just tried to pitch with a sense of urgency," said Matsuzaka, who picked up his first Japan Series win. "If they need me, I'm prepared to pitch tomorrow too."
The right-hander took the loss in Game 2 of the series when he ran out of gas in the seventh inning and gave up eight runs. He didn't let that happen this time and worked out of two-out, two-on jam in the eighth that silenced the crowd of 38,120.
"Matsuzaka pitched a great game for us," said Seibu manager Tsutomu Ito. "It was huge for him to come into their building and pitch like that."
Seibu closer Kiyoshi Toyoda retired the side in the ninth.
The Central League champion Dragons were looking to wrap up their first Japan Series title in 50 years but will have to wait until Monday's game at Nagoya Dome.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was