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LEAD: Cabrera grand slam gives Seibu Japan Series lead
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TOKOROZAWA, Japan, Oct. 19 (23:27) Kyodo
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(EDS: ADDING DETAILS, QUOTES)
Alex Cabrera hit a tiebreaking outside-the-park grand slam and
had a record-tying six RBIs Tuesday as the Seibu Lions beat the
Chunichi Dragons 10-8 in a seesaw battle in Game 3 of the Japan
Series.
The Lions, who won the opener 2-0 and dropped the next game
11-6, won their first game at home and took a 2-1 lead in the
best-of-seven series. Games 4 and 5 are scheduled to be held at Seibu
Dome on Wednesday and Thursday.
''I was sure Cabrera would do it (hit a grand slam),'' Seibu
manager Tsutomi Ito said. ''The team is working as one and is
becoming more and more daring. But tonight's game showed our
inexperience and we need to grow up more.''
Cabrera turned the game around with one swing as he blasted a
Shinya Okamoto fastball over the left-field stands with two out in
the seventh inning after Tomoaki Sato tied the game at 6-all with a
two-run double down the right-field line.
Cabrera, who missed much of the regular season due to a
fractured forearm, also connected for a two-run homer in the fourth
and matched a Japan Series single-game record with two homers and six
RBIs.
The Lions sent 11 batters to the plate in the six-run rally in
the seventh after Chunichi came back from a four-run deficit to take
a 6-4 lead on a Motonobu Tanishige grand slam off Shuichiro Osada in
a five-run sixth and a seventh-inning RBI hit by Alex Ochoa.
Tanishige's homer was the first by a Chunichi Dragons player in
Japan Series history. The day also marked the first time two grand
slams were hit in a single Japan Series game.
Earlier, the Lions opened the scoring with Jose Fernandez
sparking a three-run fourth with an RBI single and Cabrera following
with his first of two homers.
Hiroyuki Nakajima made it 4-0 with a leadoff homer in the fifth.
He also committed two fielding errors at shortstop.
Tanishige homered after Seibu starter Kazuyuki Hoashi allowed
back-to-back hits and a walk to load the bases. In the seventh,
however, the Chunichi catcher squandered another bases-loaded
opportunity in the seventh with a double-play grounder.
The Dragons' Omar Linares went 3-for-4 with a solo shot in the
eighth for the fifth homer of the four-hour game.
Koji Onuma (1-0) worked the seventh for the win and Kiyoshi
Toyoda closed out the ninth for his second save of the series.
Okamoto (0-1), who relieved Domingo Guzman in the sixth, loaded
the bases with two walks and a hit-by-pitch before allowing Cabrera
the decisive grand slam.
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise threw out the ceremonial first pitch
in a game watched by 23,910 spectators at Seibu Dome, the first below
25,000 in 15 years in a Japan Series game. The first two games at
Nagoya Dome drew crowds of 37,909 and 37,969. |
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