Posted at 6:51 a.m., Sunday, October 28, 2007
Baseball: Dragons top Fighters, even Japan Series, 8-1
Associated Press
SAPPORO, Japan — Starter Kenichi Nakata gave up one run over eight innings today as the Chunichi Dragons downed the Nippon Ham Fighters 8-1 to even the best-of-seven Japan Series one game apiece.Nakata gave up three hits and walked only one batter while striking out five in a 106-pitch effort at Sapporo Dome.
The series now moves to Nagoya Dome for three games beginning on Tuesday.
Norihiro Nakamura doubled in a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning when the Dragons took a 4-0 lead.
Fernando Seguignol, who hit a three-run homer in Saturday's 3-1 win for the Fighters, responded with a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but that was all the scoring for Trey Hillman's team.
South Korean outfielder Lee Byung-kyu hit a two-run homer in the sixth and Masahiko Morino added another two-run blast in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Hillman was hired by the Kansas City Royals to be their manager a week ago and is in his last year in Japan after a successful five-year stint as manager of the Fighters.
The best-of-seven series is a rematch of last year's championship, which the Pacific League's Fighters won in five games.
Nippon Ham starter Ryan Glynn took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits over 3-1/3 innings.
It is the first time in 14 years that the same teams are playing each other in the Japan Series in two consecutive years. The Seibu Lions and Yakult Swallows were the last teams to do so in 1992-1993.
