The Daiei Hawks are glad to be back home, but would rather be playing golf.
After winning the first two games of the best-of-seven Japan Series at Fukuoka Dome, few thought the Hawks would have to return to their home stadium for a Game 6 on Sunday.
But that's exactly what's happened after losing three straight to the Hanshin Tigers at Koshein Stadium.
"What can I say," former Texas Ranger Pedro Valdes said Saturday after batting practice at Fukuoka Dome, "We've got to win tomorrow. If we don't, we'll be packing."
Valdes hit a two-run homer in the second inning of Friday's 3-2 loss to the Tigers. He got a hit in his next at-bat but struck out twice in his final two at-bats.
Valdes said the team just hasn't been able to hit against the steady procession of left-handed pitchers that Hanshin manager Senichi Hoshino has deployed to keep the Hawks grounded.
Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi, Makoto Yoshino and Jeff Williams -- all lefties -- did a superb job in Game 5 of keeping the Hawks off balance.
"The lefties have been real tough on us," added Valdes. "We've got to find a way to get some hits off those guys."
They may get a break in Game 6. Right-handers Hideki Irabu, who was shelled in Game 2, and Shinobu Fukuhara, who has yet to have a start, have been mentioned as possible starters but Hoshino has not made it clear which way he'll go.
One thing for sure is that the Hawks will have the big bat of designated hitter Julio Zuleta back in the lineup.
The DH rule was not in effect at Koshein and Zuleta, who was 4-for-7 over the first two games, was used sparingly as a pinch hitter at Koshien.
Daiei manager Sadaharu Oh is expected to go with Game 2 winner Toshiya Sugiuchi on Sunday.
Sugiuchi, who went 10-8 in the regular season, is coming off a strong performance in which he gave up five hits over eight innings in the Hawks' 13-0 win a week ago.
Sugiuchi will have to find a way to contain the red-hot Tomoaki Kanemoto, who has four homers in the Series and is the leading candidate for MVP.
Shinjiro Hiyama, who struggled early in the Series, has also turned his game up a notch and drove in the decisive two runs on Friday with a clutch, two-out single in the sixth.
After Friday's win, Hoshino promised Hanshin's boisterous fans that he would bring home the championship.
The Tigers, who haven't won a Japan Series since 1985, opted to work out at Koshien Stadium on Saturday and were expected to arrive in Fukuoka later in the day.
If the Hawks win Sunday, Game 7, originally scheduled for Sunday, will be played on Monday because all games were pushed back a day due to the rainout last Tuesday.
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