Hanshin Pitcher Iwasaki Struggles Against Yakult
Listen to the story
The Hanshin Tigers faced the Yakult Swallows in a tense baseball game that stayed scoreless for a long time.
In the fifth inning, Hanshin created a good chance with runners on second and third base, but the team could not bring them home.
The game changed in the eighth inning, when Hanshin's third reliever, Yu Iwasaki, lost control on the mound.
He threw four walks in that inning, including one that forced in a run. This kind of walk is called a walk-in run, and it happens when the bases are full and a pitcher walks another batter.
Because of this, Yakult took a 1-0 lead, breaking the scoreless tie.
Fans in the stands, known as Tora-tou or 'tiger supporters,' groaned in disappointment as Iwasaki struggled.
This was not the first time Iwasaki has had trouble against Yakult this season. His ERA, a number showing how many runs a pitcher allows on average, is over 21 in games against this opponent.
An ERA that high is extremely unusual and shows a very poor performance record against one team.
Iwasaki is normally a dependable part of the Hanshin bullpen, but Yakult seems to be a difficult matchup for him this year.
The Tigers will need to find a way to solve this problem if they want to beat Yakult later in the season.
For now, fans are left hoping Iwasaki can turn his form around soon.
Vocabulary7 words
- reliever
- a pitcher who comes in after the starting pitcher
- walks
- times a batter reaches base after four bad pitches
- walk-in run
- a run scored when a pitcher walks a batter with the bases full
- Tora-tou
- a nickname for Hanshin Tigers fans
- ERA
- a number showing how many runs a pitcher gives up per game
- matchup
- a game or situation between two specific teams or players
- bullpen
- the group of relief pitchers on a team
Quiz
Answer key
1. Hanshin had runners on second and third but did not score 2. A walk-in run from Iwasaki 3. He has struggled badly against them this season
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Hanshin Tigers faced the Yakult Swallows in a tense baseball game that stayed _____ for a long time.
In the fifth inning, Hanshin created a good chance with runners on second and third base, but the team could not bring them _____.
The game changed in the eighth inning, when Hanshin's third reliever, Yu _____, lost control on the mound.
He threw four _____ in that inning, including one that forced in a run.
Because of this, Yakult took a 1-0 _____, breaking the scoreless tie.
Fans in the stands, known as Tora-tou, _____ in disappointment as Iwasaki struggled.
His ERA, a number showing how many runs a pitcher allows on average, is over 21 in games against this _____.
An ERA that high is extremely unusual and shows a very poor performance record against one _____.
The Tigers will need to find a way to solve this problem if they want to _____ Yakult later in the season.