Cleveland Sports Forum

There was some hope, too bad it faded away. I can't remember which minor league park we were in, but my best memory of Kouz was the game where he hit a line drive that Sonny caught off his chest. I thought it was all hands. OUCH! That had to hurt.

The Mexican League is not an easy league to hit in. They feed you a steady diet of off-speed pitches and breaking balls. You rarely get anything down the middle to hit on. Everything is either up or down in or out.

Field generals: Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles skipper Senichi Hoshino lead their teams into the Japan Series, which begins on Saturday night in Sendai. | KYODO

Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Eagles upbeat before Japan Series opener against Giants

by Jason Coskrey

Staff Writer

SENDAI –

Rain kept the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles indoors on Friday, but hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm ahead of their first Japan Series appearance, which comes against the storied Yomiuri Giants.

“I’m excited to play against the Giants (in the Japan Series),” Eagles catcher Motohiro Shima said after the team’s practice on a rainy afternoon in Sendai. “I’ve watched them on TV and always wanted to play on the same stage. At the same time, it’s hard to believe we’re really here. Of course, we want to win.”

He’ll have to wait if rain from the typhoon headed for Japan postpones the first game of the series, scheduled for Saturday night at Kleenex Stadium. The contest is currently expected to proceed as planned.

“There’s nothing we can do about the weather,” Eagles ace Masahiro Tanaka said. “We’re just going to have to see how it plays out.”

Whenever the series kicks off, it will be rookie Takahiro Norimoto toeing the rubber for Rakuten, not Tanaka, the undefeated Sawamura Award favorite.

In a rare occurrence, Eagles manager Senichi Hoshino and Giants skipper Tatsunori Hara have agreed to announce their starters beforehand, and Hoshino will send Norimoto to the mound against Yomiuri lefty Tetsuya Utsumi in Game 1.

Norimoto had a solid rookie season for Rakuten, finishing 15-8 with a 3.34 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 170 innings. Utsumi, the 2012 Japan Series MVP, was 13-6 with a 3.31 ERA and struck out 107 in 160 1/3 innings for Yomiuri.

Utsumi sounded a little surprised he wouldn’t be facing Tanaka, but quickly shrugged it off.

“It really doesn’t matter who I’m facing to be honest,” Utsumi said. “I still have to perform against the batters.”

Despite not getting the call in Game 1, all eyes will be on Tanaka when his turn comes around.

The right-hander is coming off one of the best regular seasons in history, finishing 24-0 with a save, 183 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in 212 innings. He threw a complete game against the Chiba Lotte Marines to win Game 1 of the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage and recorded a save in the series finale.

Tanaka went about his business as usual Friday, throwing a 34-pitch bullpen session.

“I just did what I normally do,” he said.

The Eagles say they feel confident no matter who they have on the mound.

“Obviously Tanaka, that’s a nice weapon to have,” said third baseman Casey McGehee. “But you’ve got the best rookie in the league (Norimoto) on the staff, and then we’ve got other guys. (Manabu) Mima pitched the way everyone knew he was capable of in the second stage (of the PL Climax Series). I think that’s the good thing. We’ve got a lot of guys, maybe not with the name or the numbers that Tanaka has, but we feel just as confident in whoever’s out there.”

The Eagles expect to be able to feed off the emotions of what they hope will be an electric atmosphere at Kleenex Stadium.

“We get to start in Sendai just like in the Climax Series,” Tanaka said. “Being able to start at home is really special.”

Rakuten hopes to give the fans a lot to cheer about in Game 1.

“We want to be aggressive and win so that we can give some joy to the people in Tohoku,” infielder Ginji Akaminai said.

The region has rallied around the Eagles’ run to the Japan Series, especially in light of the struggles many have faced after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that struck in 2011.

“At the end of the day, it’s a baseball game, and hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come for the area,” McGehee said. “We’re here to entertain them (people from the affected areas) and hopefully make them feel good for a couple of hours.

“I feel like it’s a very small part that we play in the rebuilding of the area and people’s mindsets. I know there’s still a lot of people going through tough times. Hopefully this is just kind of the turning point to maybe the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Eagles are in the Japan Series for the first time after winning the Pacific League pennant, another first, and defeating the Marines in the Climax Series.

It’s also the first trip to the title series for Andruw Jones, Rakuten’s celebrated offseason acquisition. Jones, a five-time MLB All-Star, appeared in two World Series with the Atlanta Braves (against the New York Yankees in both 1996 and ’99) but lost in both trips to the Fall Classic.

“It’s good to be a part of a final anytime you play,” Jones said. “We’ve come a long way and we’ve fought hard. It was a great series against Chiba Lotte. Now we’re just looking forward to this series against the Giants and hopefully we can continue to play the same baseball we played against Lotte.”

They’ll need to do that, and maybe then some, against the defending Japan Series champions. In stark contrast to the Eagles, the Giants are in the Japan Series for the 34th time and looking for title No. 23. The two teams split their four interleague meetings this year.

“They are a legendary team,” Akaminai said. “They’re a strong team.”

The Eagles’ pitchers held their own against Lotte’s Tadahito Iguchi in the Climax Series, but the Giants bring more weapons to the table than the third-place Marines did.

“They’ve got so many great hitters,” Shima said. “All of them are key guys. Every one of them can hit homers, they can run, and their batting is consistent.”

Shinnosuke Abe hit .296 with 32 home runs during the regular season and is perhaps the main threat in the Yomiuri lineup, though Shuichi Murata is coming off a strong second half, and hit .316 with 25 home runs for the Kyojin this season. Seven different Giants finished with at least 10 home runs this year. The Giants pose a threat anywhere they play, but are especially lethal at home in Tokyo Dome.

“You can’t keep running from them because they play in a hitter’s park,” Shima said, referring to the Big Egg where Games 3,4 and 5 will be held. “You can hit home runs to any part of the field there. Anyway, it’ll be important for us to win in Sendai first of all.”

joez wrote:There was some hope, too bad it faded away. I can't remember which minor league park we were in, but my best memory of Kouz was the game where he hit a line drive that Sonny caught off his chest. I thought it was all hands. OUCH! That had to hurt.

The Mexican League is not an easy league to hit in. They feed you a steady diet of off-speed pitches and breaking balls. You rarely get anything down the middle to hit on. Everything is either up or down in or out.

I think that was at Canal Park in Akron, down the 3B line?
Was Kouz injured the last couple years, or just out of baseball? I can't find any stats for him after 2011.

A little of both JR. Injuries and bouncing around the leagues. He's playing this winter in hopes of catching a last ditch effort in trying to land a major league contract somewhere.

Transactions

June 3, 2003: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 6th round of the 2003 amateur draft. Player signed June 3, 2003.

November 8, 2006: Traded by the Cleveland Indians with Andrew Brown to the San Diego Padres for Josh Barfield.

January 16, 2010: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Eric Sogard to the Oakland Athletics for Aaron Cunningham and Scott Hairston.

August 23, 2011: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with cash to the Colorado Rockies for player to be named or cash.

October 5, 2011: Granted Free Agency.

January 13, 2012: Signed as a Free Agent with the Kansas City Royals.

November 3, 2012: Granted Free Agency.

November 4, 2012: Signed as a Free Agent with the Miami Marlins.

Here's a pretty good link which pretty much explains it all.

http://www.athleticsnation.com/2013/10/ ... -koooooooz

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After a nice start, Jose Ramirez has found the early going this fall pretty tough. He's hitting .214 in his worst professional start ever. The good thing is he's hitting well but balls are finding more gloves than grass.

Around the Farm: October 25, 2013
Elvis Araujo

By Arthur Kinney

October 26, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Dominican Winter League

Jose Ramirez (Toros del Este, SS) - 0-4, 1 K - J-Ram has a decidedly un-J-Ram-like night and falls to .217 in six games in LIDOM this winter season. His power production has yet to show up in the Caribbean either as he has only one RBI and no home runs thus far this winter season

Erik Gonzalez (Leones del Escogido, SS) - 1-4, 2 K - Even with this poor performance, Gonzalez continues to play well in semi-regular playing time (.320 with 2 RBI in six games this LIDOM season). the major concern is the strikeout to walk ratio (6:0 - It's not a good sign for a hitter when your K:BB ratio is "undefined").

Juan Diaz (Estrellas Orientales, SS) - 1-3 - Diaz continues to struggle as he now is only 5-for-18 in six games this winter season. Don't read anything into him being pulled for a pinch hitter (see below) as the Estrellas were pulling everybody for pinch hitters in the ninth.

Ronny Rodriguez (Estrellas Orientales, PH) - 0-1 - Rodriguez's entire night conisted of a hitting a pop fly to Gigantes del Cibao first baseman Anthiny Aliottoi in foul territory after coming in as a pinch hitter for Diaz. Rodriguez's playing time has been spotty at best this winter season as he only has nine at bats in three games thus far this LIDOM season. The only stats he has posted thus far is a double (from which he later scored) and a strikeout.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Elvis Araujo (Aguilas del Zulia, RP) - 0 IP, 1 H - It is difficult, if not impossible to read anything into Araujo's 2013-14 LVBP debut as he pitched to one batter in eighth and gave up a hit before being pulled.

Ezequiel Carrera (Navegantes del Magallanes, CF) - 3-5, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 SB - Finally! A performance worth writing home about! Carrera inches closer to the .300 mark on the LIDOM season (now .283 through 53 at-bats in 14 games) with this offensive gem. Also notable was Carrera picking up his sixth stolen base of the winter season.

Jesus Aguilar (Leones del Caracas, 1B) - 1-3, 2 K - Aguilar had to cool off eventually and it happened tonight. Even with this performance, he is still batting .389 with 4 homers and 15 RBI through 14 games in the LVBP this winter season.

Luis Hernandez (Tigres de Aragua, SS) - 0-4, 1 E - Hernandez had a tough night at the plate (including grounding into a double play) and in the field before being pulled for pinch-hitter Alex Nunez in the ninth inning of a ten-innning Tigres win over the Bravos de Margarita. With tonight's o-fer, Hernandez drops to 6-for-28 (.214) in seven games.

Eric Berger (Bravos de Margarita, SP) - 2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (2 earned), 3 BB, 3 K - Yes, Berger was traded sometime ago, bue he is still worth keeping tabs on. Berger did not last long on the mound tonight as the starter for the Bravos as he made his first poor performance of the winter a spectacularly bad one. I won't go into his numbers on the LVBP season as they have been sent sky high by this one bad performance due to small sample size of the winter season, which is still in its very early stages. It is fair to say, however, that he deserves the benefit of the doubt based on his solid earlier performances in the LVBP this winter season.

Bryan Price (Bravos de Margarita, RP) - 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), 1 K, 1 HBP - The other pitcher with Tribe ties on the Bravos roster did not fare well either on Friday night. Like Berger, this is another case of a pitcher with solid numbers on the short LVBP season so far who had a rough night. Nothing to get too worked up about as of right now.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Tyler Naquin (Surprise Saguaros, CF) - 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 Sac Fly - Naquin's solid night increases his stats on the Arizona Fall League season to 20-for-54 (.370) with ten RBI in thirteen games. Not surprising, but still good to see Naquin continuing to perform well in what is essentially a full season of minor league all-star games.

Joe Wendle (Surprise Saguaros, DH) - 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Wendle not only got two hits on only three at-bats, but got extra bases on both of them. Paired with a walk he got on base three times out of four tonight. Wendle has only played in eight games thus far on the fall season, but is 8-for-27 (.296) with two doubles, two triples, and five RBI in those games. Seeing him get a walk but not a strikeout was a good sign as he has posted a 4:1 AFL K:BB ratio going into tonight's action.

Berry continues to impress as Saguaros top Scorpions

O's No. 6 prospect tosses four shutout frames while striking out two

Tim Berry didn't go to the Arizona Fall League expecting to get a chance to start. Organizations are usually only able to get a spot in their fall club's starting rotation and the Orioles used theirs for left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.

But an injury to Taylor Jungmann has given Berry a chance to make two starts for Surprise and he has made the most of them. Friday, for the second start in a row, Berry threw four scoreless innings and Surprise defeated Scottsdale, 3-1, in Scottsdale Stadium.

Berry, the Orioles' No. 6 prospect, allowed three hits and struck out two batters as he extended his scoreless-innings streak to 10. He lowered his ERA to 1.64 in 11 innings this fall.

After making two appearances in relief to begin the fall, he said he was glad for the opportunity to return to the starting rotation, even if it is only temporary.

"I'm a lot more comfortable starting," Berry said. "It was a challenge at first to see if I could prepare myself in the bullpen, but it's a different animal."

Berry said all of his pitches have had their moments in the last two starts, but his changeup has been the most consistent. He said his success has mostly been a result of keeping hitters off balance. "I've been mixing pitches, trying to read hitters and having a good tempo out there," Berry said. "[That] is what I'm out here to do. It's been working the last couple times."

Even once Berry was out of the game Friday, the Scorpions struggled against the Saguaros' relievers. They didn't advance a runner to third base until the eighth inning and didn't score until the ninth when Andrew Susac drew a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Angel Villalona. The run was the first allowed in the AFL by right-hander David Goforth, who had made five scoreless appearances to start the fall.

Mason Williams, the Yankees' No. 2 prospect, went 2-for-4 with a walk to lead the Scorpions' offense.

Surprise also struggled against the opposing starter. Left-hander Vidal Nuno allowed just two hits and a walk in four scoreless innings.

The Saguaros scored the game's first runs in the fifth inning against reliever Tyler Waldron. With one out, an error by shortstop Elmer Reyes allowed Ryan Rua to get on base. Joe Wendle followed with an RBI triple to right field and came home on Tyler Naquin's single.

Surprise added an insurance run in the ninth inning against right-hander Derek Law, who previously had not allowed a run in five appearances totaling 6 1/3 innings.

Wendle and Naquin, teammates in the Indians' organization, each had two hits. Naquin, the Indians' No. 5 prospect, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. Wendle finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk.

Whether Friday was Berry's last start or not, he said he is glad for the opportunity to pitch in the AFL. It has been a learning experience for him, especially as he works on his mental approach on the mound.

Berry has been working with Orioles director of pitching development Rick Peterson all year to clear his mind when he is on the mound. That work has continued this fall with Surprise pitching coach Alan Mills. Berry said Mills has even given him a couple books to read, helping him to continue to improve.

"Having that clear mind on the mound as I deliver the pitch is really a deal breaker," Berry said. "If I'm not there and I have thoughts in my head, I'm not going to execute. I've been practicing that every time I pick up the ball and it's been progressing this year.

"I feel like I've been learning at a good pace and hopefully I keep learning at a good pace."

Winter League roundup: Franco's bat leads Gigantes

Phillies No. 2 prospect helps club top Estrellas in Dominican Winter League action

By Quinn Roberts and Jane Lee / MLB.com | 10/26/2013 2:52 A.M. ET

Dominican Winter League

Gigantes 2, Estrellas 1

It was a nail biter from the beginning. Gigantes scored its only runs of the game in the first and fourth inning and it held up. Phillies No. 2 prospect Maikel Franco had two hits in the game, including an RBI single in the fourth. Bruce Billings took the loss, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings of work.

Escogido 4, Toros 2

Red Sox No. 9 prospect Bryce Brentz hit a two-run double in the first inning and Edward Salcedo had two hits on the night, including a RBI double in the third to help secure the win. Elih Villanueva took his first loss of the season, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Aguilas 4, Licey 1

Aguilas' bats were on fire Friday night, belting out 12 hits. Dan Black led the way with three hits, along with Yankees' No. 6 prospect Zoilo Almonte, who had two hits. All but one starter had a hit in the game. Angel Castro got his second win of the season, allowing just three hits in six innings of work.

Venezuelan Winter League

Caracas 5, Magallanes 4

Seven players tallied a hit for Caracas, who got two RBIs each from Danny Dorn and Casper Wells. Wells' two-run homer in the fourth was his first of the season. Ezequiel Carrera picked up three hits and drove in a pair of runs for Magallanes in the losing effort.

Aragua 8, Margarita 7

Aragua plated four in the third with help from an error and three walks and added on in the seventh thanks to a solo homer from Hector Gimenez, scoring twice more in the eighth. Ray Olmedo tripled and scored on Alex Romero's ensuing double, and Margarita's second miscue of the night led to another run. The Bravos got three hits and two RBIs from Antoan Richardson in the loss.

Caribes 3, Zulia 0

Tampa Bay outfield prospect Leslie Anderson went 2-for-4 with a crucial third-inning two-run homer to help the Aguilas record the shutout. Cory Aldridge aided with an RBI single in the eighth as part of a two-hit night.

La Guaira 9, Lara 6

The Tiburones saw five of their players collect at least two hits in the affair, with Rafael Ortega leading the way with three. White Sox prospect Carlos Sanchez did his part with three RBIs and two runs scored. C.J. Retherford also tallied three RBIs. For Lara, which scored all of its runs in the seventh or later, Paulo Orlando collected three hits.

Mexican Pacific League

Los Mochis 6, Guasave 3

Behind a four-run fifth inning, Los Mochis was able to get the win. Brian Burgamy had four RBI in the contest, including a two-run home run in the first inning and a two-run double in the fifth. First baseman Jake Fox had the other two RBI on the night. Marco Tovar took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings

Mazatlan 3, Obregon 2

Mazatlan got the win in the 11th inning after a double by Bryan Petersen and a game-winning single to center field by Issmael Salas. Petersen led the way with three hits on the night. Reliever Jay Jackson got his second win of the season and Giovanny Gallegos took the loss. Mazatlan's David Reyes pitched a great game, allowing just one run on two hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Hermosillo 4, Navojoa 0

Hermosillo's pitching had a dominant night, allowing no runs on seven hits. Starter Ryan Verdugo got his second win of the season, allowing just five hits in six innings of work. The bullpen allowed just two hits in three innings. Jerry Owens, Heber Gomez and Jonathan Aceves all had two hits for Hermosillo. Eddie Gamboa took the loss for Navajoa, allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings.

Culiacan 5, Mexicali 2

A three-run ninth inning proved to be the difference in this tight game. An RBI single by Luis Cruz and then a triple to right field by Ronnier Mustelier, his first of the season, secured the victory for Culiacan. Manuel Chavez took the loss for Mexicali, while Jorge Reyes got the win for Culiacan, his first of the season. Culiacan had 11 hits on the night.

Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Giants hold off brilliant rookie Norimoto in Game 1

by Jason Coskrey

Staff Writer

Oct 26, 2013

SENDAI –

Takahiro Norimoto gave his best Masahiro Tanaka impression with a forkball that was working all night and a variety of other pitches that looked just as sharp.

The rookie only made a few mistakes on the night, but when he did, the Yomiuri Giants were there to take advantage.

Hisayoshi Chono singled in a run in the fifth inning, Shuichi Murata added some insurance with a solo home run in the eighth, and the Giants held on for a tightly contested 2-0 win over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Game 1 of the Japan Series on Saturday night at Kleenex Stadium.

“The Japan Series is a showdown of league champions, so the games should all be close and exciting and not decided until the last out,” Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said. “It was a nail-biter.”

Rakuten may have lost in its first-ever appearance in the Japanese Fall Classic, but the Eagles didn’t go quietly.

“We had a lot of chances,” Rakuten third baseman Casey McGehee said. “We had a lot of chances to score and hit some balls at (their) guys with guys on base. It’s Game 1 of seven. All it means is we’re not going to sweep.”

Giants outfielder Yoshiyuki Kamei had to make a highlight-worthy leaping grab at the wall to retire Kazuo Matsui with runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth, and the Eagles were putting together another rally in the ninth, getting the potential game-winning run to the plate, before Yomiuri reliever Kentaro Nishimura closed things out.

The Giants weren’t able to muster much in the way of offense, but didn’t need to with starter Tetsuya Utsumi and relievers Scott Mathieson, Tetsuya Yamaguchi and Nishimura combining on a nine-hit shutout.

Utsumi, last year’s Japan Series MVP, did the heavy lifting for six innings, holding the Eagles to six hits, while striking out three and walking two.

“I was shaky in the Climax Series, so I wanted to have a better outing today,” Utsumi said. “Norimoto was pitching much better than I was, but I tried to go all out, and it worked out for me.”

There may have been some surprise when Norimoto, and not Tanaka, was announced as the Game 1 starter, but the rookie put any unease to rest with a brilliant performance.

“I trust Norimoto with any game,” McGehee said. “He pitched plenty well enough to win, that’s for sure.”

Displaying the form that helped him win 15 games during the regular season, Norimoto held the Giants in check for much of the night, allowing a pair of runs on four hits, while striking out 10 and walking two over eight innings

“I was happy with my performance, but there are some things I have to reflect on, “Norimoto said. “I hope that I can continue to get better. Anyhow, I have to think about the best way to go about things next time.”

The rookie showed great command of his arsenal, particularly a forkball that kept the Giants off-balance.

“I was just following (catcher Motohiro) Shima’s lead today,” Norimoto said. “He came up with a great plan. I was really happy with my forkball. I was able to use it consistently and got strikeouts with it.”

The first run he gave up came in the fifth, when the Giants were able to put two runners on to start the frame, with a little help from an error by first baseman Ginji Akaminai. Chono came through with runners on the corners later in the inning to make the score 1-0.

“I was glad we put ourselves on the board first because Utsumi-san was hanging in there,” Chono said. “I thought that if I made contact something might happen.”

Murata gave the bullpen some breathing room later with his homer in the eighth.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It’s always important to win the first game, especially in the other team’s ballpark,” Hara said. “We will try to take a 2-0 lead tomorrow before we go back home to Tokyo.”

That might be easier said than done, with the Eagles sending ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to the mound in Game 2. Tanaka is 25-0 with a pair of saves this year (including the postseason). He won both his games against the Giants during interleague play.

“Even if it’s Tanaka, you can’t win with zero runs,” Eagles manager Senichi Hoshino said. “We need to score some runs.”

They had plenty of chances in Game 1.

The Eagles got their leadoff man on in six innings and also ended six frames with at least one runner in scoring position.

“Yeah, you want to get them in, but we had the chances,” McGehee said. “It’s more frustrating if you don’t have the chance. We keep giving ourselves chances, we’re going to get those balls to fall in, we’re going to get those hits. We wanted to come out and win the first game, but that’s what happens.”

Doosan takes 2-0 Korean Series lead over Samsung with extra-inning win

DAEGU (Yonhap News) --

The Doosan Bears defeated the Samsung Lions 5-1 in extra innings in Game 2 of the Korean Series on Friday, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven affair.

Visiting Daegu Stadium, Oh Jae-il launched a go-ahead solo home run off Oh Seung-hwan during the four-run 13th inning, as the Bears inched closer to their first Korea Baseball Organization championship since 2001.

At five hours and 32 minutes, this was the longest postseason game in the KBO's 31-year history. The previous record was the sixth game of the 2006 Korean Series between the Lions and the Hanwha Eagles that lasted 5:15.

The third game will be at Doosan's home, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Bears, seeded fourth, will host Games 3 and 4, and, if necessary, Game 5. If the series goes further, the Lions, ranked first in the regular season, will host Games 6 and 7.

The Bears are trying to become the first club to win the Korean Series after finishing fourth in the regular season.

In 30 previous Korean Series, a team that won the first two games went on to win the title on 15 out of 16 occasions. The 2007 Bears are the only club to have blown that lead to lose the Korean Series.

The Lions, who have won the past two Korean Series, have never fallen behind two games to none in their previous 14 appearances in the KBO final.

Oh Jae-il, who entered the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement at first, played the hero for the Bears. Oh Seung-hwan, one of the KBO's most feared closers, entered the game with one out in the ninth and the score tied at 1-1, and he'd struck out eight of the 12 batters he'd faced before Oh Jae-il stepped up to the plate. The Bears' backup infielder then swung at the first-pitch fastball over the right-center field for his first career postseason home run, chasing the Lions' right-hander.

Later in the 13th, the Bears scored three more runs off new pitcher Sim Chang-min, on an error by first baseman Chae Tae-in and a two-run single by Son Si-heon.

Reliever Chung Jae-hun was credited with the victory after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Oh Seung-hwan, the Korean Series MVP in 2005 and 2011 with a career playoff ERA of 1.30, suffered his first postseason loss. He threw his season-high 53 pitches but his only blemish of the night proved to be the fatal one for the Lions.

The 31-year-old is eligible for free agency this offseason and has reportedly drawn interest from the New York Yankees.

The Lions blew bases-loaded chances both in the bottom 10th and 11th.

In the bottom 10th, they loaded the bases after three walks, but Lee Seung-yeop, the 2012 Korean Series MVP famous for clutch hits, only managed a grounder to second as the lead runner got thrown out at home. Then pinch hitter Woo Dong-gyun popped out to short to end the inning.

With bases full and two outs in the next frame, light-hitting utility infielder Kang Myung-goo, hitting in the cleanup spot after entering the game as a pinch runner in the 10th, weakly grounded to second.

Oh Seung-hwan bulldozed through the Bears' lineup through his first four innings, and the game seemed destined for a 15-inning tie before Oh Jae-il hit one out of the park.

The teams traded zeroes through the first seven innings, before Doosan's Kim Jae-ho delivered a two-out RBI single in the top eighth for a 1-0 lead.

The Lions quickly tied the score in the bottom eighth, as Chae Tae-in hit a single to right off shaky Doosan reliever Hong Sang-sam.

The Lions still had runners on second and third with two outs later in the same inning, but failed to move ahead as Kim Tae-wan grounded out to third.

The Bears had a go-ahead run on second with two outs in the ninth, but Oh Seung-hwan struck out Leem Jae-cheol

Both starters, Rick Van den Hurk for the Lions and Dustin Nippert for the Bears, kept their opponents off the board.

Van den Hurk gave up four hits and three walks while striking out seven in 5 2/3 shutout innings. In the top third, with runners at the corners with one out, Choi Jun-seok hit a hard comebacker right at van den Hurk, but the pitcher snared the liner and threw to first to double off the runner at first.

Nippert tossed six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks and striking out four. He gave up a pair of two-out singles in the bottom first, but then retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced.

The Bears used seven pitchers in the game, and the Lions sent out six pitchers, who struck out 18 Doosan hitters to set a playoff record in the losing cause.

Lions hold off EDA Rhinos’ rally to win Game One

Deng Chih-wei’s three-run blast off Hsu Wen-cheng capped an eight-run seventh that broke a two-all tie wide open as the Uni-President Lions went up by eight runs and held off a ninth-inning rally by the EDA Rhinos to finish 10-7 in Game One of the Taiwan Series at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium last night.

With the win, the Lions now take a 1-0 lead in this year’s Fall Classic.

Masahiro Tanaka rumors: Cubs 'covet' Japanese pitcher

By Noah Jarosh  @NoahJarosh on Oct 26 2013, 1:55p

Tanaka will have no lack of suitors and could be placed up for bidding shortly after the Japan Series.

Signing Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has become a top priority for the Chicago Cubs this offseason, reports Phil Rogers of MLB.com.

The Cubs have a heavy need for pitching going forward and Tanaka figures to be among the best pitchers on the market this offseason. He will also come at a hefty price as teams will first have to place a blind bid just for the chance to negotiate a contract. The Rakuten Golden Eagles are expected to post Tanaka following the Japan Series taking place this week.

Chicago will have a large contingency at Game 2 of that series, when Tanaka is scheduled to pitch. The team has a number of top positional prospects coming up through the minors, but the system doesn't have much in the way of top pitching.

Tanaka, 24, is in his seventh season with the Golden Eagles. He has had a sub-2.00 ERA each of the past three years with a 1.24 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 23 starts in 2013. Furthermore, he has averaged nearly eight innings per start this season.

Tanaka has drawn many comparisons to fellow Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, who has played with the Rangers the past two years. While Tanaka's stuff is not quite as overwhelming as that of Darvish, some scouts say he is still the better pitcher of the two due to his abilities to command his repertoire. He also has what has been called the best splitter in the world to pair with a fastball that can reach the upper-mid 90s.

Darvish received a bid of $52 million from the Rangers before receiving a six year contract worth $56 million. The bidding for Tanaka is expected to at least match Darvish, with a good possibility of being even pricier. Other teams expected to be in the running for his services are big spenders such as the Yankees, Rangers and Red Sox.

Around the Farm: October 26, 2013

Aguilar's power, Ramirez's three hits highlight night's action
Jose Ramirez (Photo: MILB.com)

By Steve Orbanek

October 27, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Jesus Aguilar (1B, Leones del Caracas): 2-for-6, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI. The big nights just to continue to come for Aguilar. The big first baseman has now gone 23-for-60 in 15 games this fall while compiling five home runs and 17 RBI along the way. What’s even better though is the fact that Aguilar has gone hitless in just one of those 15 games.

•Ezequiel Carrera (CF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 0-for-3, 2 BB. Carrera’s modest three-game hit streak was snapped in this game, but he did manage to get on base twice via the walk. Carrera has been drawing plenty of walks this fall as he now has 11 in 15 games.

Arizona Fall League

•Jake Lowery (C, Peoria Javelinas): 1-for-3. Lowery has not been overly impressive in any outings, but he has now managed to at least collect a hit in three of the four games he’s played.

•Shawn Armstrong (RP, Surprise Saguaros): 2 IP, 3 K. This was just a dominant performance for Armstrong. In two perfect innings of relief, Armstrong threw just 20 pitches, and 13 went for strikes. To make things even better, he recorded three strikeouts along the way.

Dominican Winter League

•Ronny Rodriguez (SS, Estrellas de Oriente): 0-for-4, 1 K. Rodriguez has gotten off to a rough start this offseason. In four games, he’s now gone just 1-for-13.

•Juan Diaz (SS, Estrellas de Oriente): 0-for-0. Diaz actually came on to replace Rodriguez in the contest, but he did not manage to get an at-bat.

•Jerry Gil (RP, Estrellas de Oriente): 1 IP. Gil has looked good so far this fall as he’s yet to allow an earned run in 3 1/3 innings of work. Saturday was arguably his best performance so far as he was perfect in his one inning of relief.

•Jose Ramirez (SS, Toros del Este): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 K. Now, there’s the Jose Ramirez we all know and love. With his three-hit night, Ramirez snapped an 0-for-8 slump and raised his average all the way up from .217 to .296. Remember what Ramirez did last year in winter ball? Knowing that, there’s a good chance that nights like Saturday are just precursor of more good things to come.

•Rafael Perez (RP, Gigantes del Cibao): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K. There’s a familiar face. Perez is pitching for Gigantes del Cibao this offseason as he tries to reestablish his value and possibly gain a Major League job this spring. He’s off to a good start so far as he has not allowed a run in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Winter League roundup: Sierra powers Gigantes

Blue Jays outfielder homers to help best Toros in Dominican Republic

By Quinn Roberts and Andrew Simon / MLB.com | 10/27/2013 2:10 A.M. ET

Dominican Winter League

Gigantes 12, Toros 3 (8 innings)

Phillies No. 2 prospect Maikel Franco notched three hits, and the Blue Jays' Moises Sierra homered for Gigantes, which scored their final five runs in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach. Five Gigantes relievers, including winning pitcher Roman Colon, combined to give up one run over 4 2/3 innings. The Rockies' Jordan Pacheco and Jose Ramirez -- the Indians' No. 12 prospect -- both collected three hits for the Toros.

Aguilas 5, Escogido 1

Aguilas had plenty of timely hits in Saturday's contest, going 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position against Escogido. The team had a three-run seventh inning thanks to RBI singles from Jermaine Curtis and Juan Perez. Lorenzo Barcelo got his second win of the season, allowing just one run on four hits in six innings.

Estrellas 3, Licey 2

Alfredo Marte tied the game for Estrellas with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. An inning later, Yeison Asencio scored the go-ahead run when Indians No. 7 prospect Ronny Rodriguez reached on a fielding error by right fielder Domingo Santana. The Brewers' Juan Francisco had two hits and an RBI for Licey, which also got a solid five-inning start from Mariners right-hander Hector Noesi. Marcos Mateo struck out two in the ninth to pick up the save.

Venezuelan Winter League

Zulia 11, Caracas 10 (10 innings)

Yankees prospect Jose Pirela put Zulia ahead with a two-run homer in the top of the 10th before Caracas' rally came up just short. Carlos Perez made it a one-run game with a sacrifice fly, and Caracas loaded the bases with two outs, but Hassan Pena nailed down the save by getting Jesus Aguilar -- the Indians' No. 17 prospect -- on a flyout to center field. Caracas, which got four hits from Carlos Rivero and three from Casper Wells, scored four runs in the eighth to tie the game.

Magallanes 3, Caribes 2

Mets prospects Allan Dykstra and Wilfredo Tovar combined to account for all of Magallanes' scoring in the third inning, with an RBI single and two-run single, respectively. Niuman Romero hit a solo homer in the seventh for Caribes, and Gorkys Hernandez followed with a double and scored thanks to two errors from right fielder Adonis Garcia. But Caribes got no closer, with Jose Ortega shutting the door in the ninth. Box score

Lara 10, La Guaira 8 (10 innings)

Lara scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th off Justin Friend after La Guaira pushed one across in the top of the frame to take the lead. Dodgers top prospect Joc Pederson doubled, Mariners catcher Jesus Montero hit a game-tying RBI single and Royals prospect Paulo Orlando smacked a walk-off two-run homer. Luis Sardinas, the Rangers' No. 2 prospect, went 4-for-6 for La Guaira, while Edgmer Escalona held Lara to three runs over seven innings.

Margarita at Aragua, ppd.

Mexican Pacific League

Los Mochis 18, Guasave 4

What a game for the Los Mochis hitters, who had 22 hits on the night. Every starter had at least one hit. Sergio Perez had four hits and two RBIs, while Saul Soto had five RBIs and was one of six players with two hits. Manuel Flores took his second loss of the season, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Mazatlan 3, Obregon 2

A tight game throughout, the difference proved to be an RBI single by Jesse Castillo in the sixth inning. Four players, including Castillo, had two hits. Ryan Mulhern also had a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Arturo Lopez took his first loss of the season, allowing three runs on 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Hermosillo 6, Navojoa 0

Hermosillo's pitching had a dominant night, allowing no runs on five hits. Starter Hector Galvan got his second win of the season, allowing four hits in five innings. The bullpen allowed just one hit in four innings. Efren Navarro had two hits and three RBIs and Jose Aguilar had two hits and an RBI. Jose Oyervidez took his third loss of the season, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings.

Culiacan 5, Mexicali 2

The Culiacan hitters had a great day at the plate, belting 10 hits. All but two starters had at least one hit. Culiacan's Emmanuel Valdez hit his third home run of the season in the sixth inning, a two-run blast. Edgar Osuna took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Amauri Sanit was close to unhittable, allowing just one run on one hit in seven innings. Box score

Mound magician: Eagles starter Masahiro Tanaka tosses a complete game in Game 2 of the Japan Series on Sunday at Kleenex Stadium. Tohoku Rakuten beat the Yomiuri Giants 2-1 to even the Japanese Fall Classic at one game apiece | KYODO

Japanese Baseball

Tanaka handcuffs potent Giants lineup, lifts Eagles to Game 2 triumph

Eagles ace remains unbeaten this year

by Jason Coskrey

Staff Writer

Oct 27, 2013

SENDAI –

When you’re in desperate need of a win, a pretty good strategy is to give the ball to the guy who never loses and get out the way.

Masahiro Tanaka went the distance and struck out 12 in his Japan Series debut, getting a little help from a crucial blown call, to lead the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to a 2-1 win over the Yomiuri Giants in Game 2 of the Japanese Fall Classic on Sunday night at Kleenex Stadium.

“Yesterday (Takahiro) Norimoto pitched so well but could not win, so I was determined to pitch my game and make sure we evened the Series,” Tanaka said. “I wanted to be very careful and tried not to give up any runs.”

Tanaka was on his game from the start, feeding the Kyojin a steady diet of fastballs and splitters in another masterful performance from the right-hander in a game that went down to the wire.

“The guy is an animal,” Rakuten third baseman Casey McGehee said. “Especially tonight. Every pitch he threw was a possible game-changing pitch. He made, maybe, arguably, one mistake that the guy (Takayuki Terauchi) hit out. He was unbelievable, just like he’s been pretty much every time he’s been out there.”

Ginji Akaminai backed up his pitcher with an RBI single in the sixth, and umpire Kenjiro Mori’s blown call at first base gave the Eagles a little more breathing room.

Rakuten led 1-0 with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, when Kazuya Fujita hit a slow grounder to Giants second baseman Terauchi, who scooped up the ball and fired it to first base.

Fujita went into the bag head-first and was called safe by Mori, though it looked as if the Giants had recorded the out. Replays showed Terauchi’s throw beat Fujita to the bag and should’ve ended the inning.

Yomiuri manager Tatsunori Hara emerged from the dugout to argue to no avail, giving the Eagles a crucial insurance run with their ace dealing on the mound.

“It wasn’t really an argument, but I don’t really remember,” Mori said of his conversation with Hara. “But what I said to him is ‘an out is an out.’ “

The significance of the call was magnified in the very next inning, as Terauchi hit what should’ve been a game tying solo home run.

The Eagles bounced back from a 2-0 loss in Game 1 to even the series and avoided the prospect of being in a 0-2 hole as the Japan Series shifts to Tokyo Dome for the next three games.

“That’s huge,” McGehee said. “That was a huge game for us. Nobody panicked after last night. We felt confident we were going to have a chance. We knew they were going to pitch well, just like they did. I think it’s going to be a close series all the way through.”

Giants rookie Tomoyuki Sugano pitched well, but was charged with the loss after allowing a run over 5 1/3 innings.

The Kyojin only managed three hits against Tanaka, with Terauchi coming up with two of them, including his second home run of the postseason.

Tanaka still has yet to taste defeat this season. He finished the regular season 24-0 with a save, and improved to 2-0 (both complete-game victories) with a save during the playoffs.

“Tanaka pitched just as well as he did all season, and the second run gave him more confidence, although he gave up the home run to Terauchi, who is not a power hitter,” Eagles manager Senichi Hoshino said.

The only major trouble Tanaka faced came in the sixth when he loaded the bases, with two outs, for the Giants’ Jose Lopez, a .303 hitter with 18 homers during the regular season.

Tanaka jumped ahead 0-2 in the count, but Lopez eventually worked it full. Tanaka blew a 152-kph fastball past him to end the inning, yelling and pumping his fist in celebration.

“Striking out Lopez with the bases loaded peaked my emotions tonight,” Tanaka said afterward.

Tanaka retired the Giants’ 5-6-7 hitters in order in the ninth to preserve the slim one-run win.

“It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but we were able to get a couple of runs when we needed them,” McGehee said. “That was a hell of a game. That’s playoff baseball right there.”