The Quiver - Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source

August 1, 2024

Have you noticed that Shizuoka is buzzing lately? The Arrows are in the hunt for a playoff spot, coming off a 15-11 July. We're 1.5 back of Rakuten, and 2.5 back of SoftBank! That's soooo close!

We have to tip our caps to the new guys on the squad who we got for Shu Masuda - Taishi Ota has a 1.003 OPS over 20 games, and Keita Nakagawa's at .771 OPS through 19 starts, giving poor Joh Endoh a break.

And speaking of new guys, can we tip our caps to Satoru Matsushta? He won the PL Rookie of the Month Award in July, with 4 HRs and 18 RBI over the month. I bet Hiroshima regrets losing him now!

Although our team didn't make any deals at the deadline, we did see two trades in July, one bidding farewell to an original Arrow.

* 2B Ryo Watanabe and LHP Hiroto Fuku were sent to the Yomiuri Giants for 3B Youhei Nihei and RHP Masahiro Yokoyama
* RHP Sam Bragg headed to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for expiring free agent RHP Taisho Tamai

We also heard that Yuta Takano may be back from injury soon! Fingers crossed everyone.

It's going to be a sprint to the finish; kattobase Arozu!

GM Notebook - September 1, 2024

Going 13-13 in August probably put the kibosh on our playoff hopes. BNN has us at a 5.6% chance to make the postseason, and we're 5 games or more behind SoftBank, Rakuten, and Orix.

Part of the problem is that we're 6-9 against each of them this season. We can't be a good team until we start to beat good teams.

At least we're not the Spirit who were eliminated from contention last month.

Keita Nakagawa chewed me out a few days ago about not starting him - he's responded with a great August. May keep him at third and let Endoh continue to mature or be a defensive replacement.

As long as we stay competitive next month, anything can happen.

2024 Season Review

We finish September 11-10, well out of the postseason after all. We were within 4 games of Orix with 6 to play, but went 1-5 to finish the year. Ah well.

76-67 overall, an eight-win improvement and our first .500 season. If the Climax Series included 4 teams, we'd be heading into it. But alas, no more baseball for us this season.

I gave Taishi Ota a 1yr/1.405M extension for his dynamite work in the DH spot.

I do have to think we need to dig into our minor league system soon. The Shinano Grandserows won their third straight BCL title using our players, and the ni-gun Arrows won the Western League, losing the ni-gun championship to the Swallows.

We've got 5 players heading to free agency this year - Nakamura (who was lights out again), Taisho Tamai, Fumiya Hojoh, Naoyuki Uwasawa (who had a bit of a regression this year), and Kota Futaki (-0.9 WAR even though his other peripherals got better).

Going to be interesting to see who else hits the FA market. If we've got the money, we can really make some noise!

SAIGO NI!! CARP WIN FIRST TITLE IN 40 YEARS!

FUKUOKA - October 19, 2024

It was almost the same story as last year, a disappointing loss in Game 7 of the Japan Series. Through eight innings, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp didn't get a runner home against Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks righthanders Saul Gonzalez and Yuhei Takanashi.

Then, opportunity struck. First baseman Yuya Nirasawa clubbed a triple to center field outsight of the reach of Hawks center fielder Yuki Yanagita. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki was walked on a full count. DH Kunizo Maruyama struck out swinging, and Hawks catcher Ben Breazeale tried for a strike-out-throw-out double play on Suzuki...and that's where the fulcrum swung. The throw sailed into center field, Nirasawa scored, and Suzuki scrambled to third. Center fielder Kohki Ugusa walked on another full count, and left fielder Ryoma Nishikawa hit a screaming liner into the center field wall to score both baserunners. The Carp had the lead.

Carp closer Shohei Tomioka needed only nine pitches to record a clean bottom of the ninth, and as Ugusa closed his glove around Hikaru Kawase's fly ball...it was finally over. Hiroshima had its title.

This series was another classic, from the 6-run eighth inning that gave the Hawks a Game 3 win to the gutsy 1-run 7-inning start of Daichi Ohsera in Game 6 to force tonight's chaotic conclusion.

The Carp needed six games to defeat the Yomiuri Giants in the Final Stage, while the Hawks disposed of the third-place Orix Buffaloes in a 2-game sweep, and the PL pennant-winning Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 5.

Carp catcher Tsubasa Aizawa won MVP honours for his 2 home runs, 7 RBI, and .320/.393/.600 slash line in the series. He almost hit one out of right field after Nishikawa's double, but Seiji Uebayashi was able to leap and make the play.

Other Champions:
* MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers
* KBO: LG Twins
* CPBL: Uni-President Lions

2024 Offseason Updates

Personnel
* A number of personnel have left or are retiring: AA hitting coach Troy Afenir, pitching coach Shigeki Nakamoto, hitting coach Paco Figueroa, and AAA manager Harry Weber.
* Jack Wilson was promoted from AAA to *** hitting coach
* Brian Schneider has been promoted from AA manager to AAA; Steve Gibralter was hired for AA
* Yuya Ando is hired for AA hitting coach; he was previously the pitching coach for the Fukushima RedHopes
* Luis Miguel Navas has been hired as the *** pitching coach; this is his first coaching job
* Iwao Omura was hired as hitting coach for AAA Shinano; he comes with 8 years of experience in the amateur ranks

Awards
* Naoyuki Uwasawa (P) and Shizue Uchino (CF) were awarded the Mitsui Golden Glove Award
* Toby Welk finished 2nd in the PL Rookie of the Year voting, behind CF Masaru Nakamura for Chiba Lotte (unaninmous)
* Conner Greene finished 6th in PL Eiji Sawamura Award voting; Yuki Matsui of Rakuten won unanimously

Players
* RP Shunta Wakamatsu has requested to be posted - he is available for $500,000
* The following players have been non-tendered and will become free agents: RP Kimitaka Asakura, RP Kazuyuki Sakata, C Kanta Anzawa, LF Taiki Sekine, RF Taishi Kusumoto

Other teams
* the Hiroshima Toyo Carp have been sold by the Matsuda family to Haruki Uchida, a technology investor. He has said he will rename the team to simply "Hiroshima Carp," dropping the "Toyo" that has been a staple of the team under the Matsuda clan.
* the Chiba Lotte Marines have fired manager Onil Joseph.
* after the conclusion of the 2024 First Year Draft, a group of investors announced that the Kansai Independent Baseball League (KANDOK) would resume as a five-team circuit in the 2025 season

2024 First Year Draft

TOKYO - November 15, 2024

Continuing the tradition, newer expansion teams failed to make much headway, and will be drafting first and second.

The Okinawa Kirin Spirit took top right-handed pitcher Kyoichi Hirai with the first overall pick; although there are questions about his health, as he only pitched in 5 games with Rikkyo University last season due to a torn flexor tendon, his raw pitching skills are worth watching.

The Ehime Honda Comets took Waseda University's left-hander Yozo Hashimoto second. His stuff profiles as major-league ready already, especially his plus-plus changeup. There are concerns about his ability to control his stuff, but it's a solid choice.

Other expansion teams are finally improving and thus were forced to draft later. Niigata Komatsu went 6th, taking left-handed starter Jiro Miyake from Rikkyo University. With a 5-pitch arsenal and balanced skill set, he's expected to lead a rotation in the near future.

Shizuoka opted for third baseman Takahiko Arakawa from Keio University. Projected to go sixth, Arakawa had a down year last season (his batting average was cut in half), but still has the tools to succeed.

Arrows Results
1. Takahiko Arakawa, as above
2. Hirotaka Hayashi, high-contact switch hitter 2B from Maebashi Ikuei HS
3. Motosugu Fujiwara, catcher from Chiben Wakayama HS with a gimpy bat but great pitch framing and personality
4. Koichi Shimoda, speedy right fielder with a good work ethic. May be better suited to DH duties.
5. Rikiya Nishino, who put up 3 WAR in high school, failed to sign with the Lions, and struggled a bit at Waseda University. (I've seen him kick butt in other sims, so not letting him get away)
6. Suezo Muraoka, right-handed pitcher from Hotoku Gakuen HS. Probably just org filler, I've got plenty of good starters.
7. Masao Ogawa, defensive shortstop from Meiji University
8. Aichi Yoshimoto, leftie reliever with plus fastball and curveball
9. Yoshiro Ishida, rightie reliever from Kyoto University
10. Kuemon Kamimura, another speedy right fielder from Chiben Wakayama HS

2024 Winter Meetings Review

Shizuoka GM tehsuigi did say he wanted an ace, and to find a foreign player slot for reliever Hamilton Andujar. Two birds with one stone here.

The Arrows have acquired right-handed starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the Orix Buffaloes for catcher Xavier Valentin and minor-league RHP Naoto Nishiguchi. Orix will retain 40% of Yamamoto's contract for this season.

The 26-year-old Yamamoto already has two Japan Series titles and two Eiji Sawamura Awards to his name. With one year of arbitration left, that opens a window for the Arrows to compete. One can imagine Conner Greene might appreciate having a fellow ace alongside him in the rotation.

Catcher Valentin posted a .688 OPS and 2.2 WAR over 112 games, so the Buffaloes are getting someone who can lock down the catcher role for years to come. Nishiguchi should do well in the SILP until he matures.

Also shipped out a bunch of foreign players for locals to fill gaps - backup catcher, prospects, reliever depth.

Also!

The Shizuoka Arrows announced the signing of left-handed relief pitcher Kakeru Narita to a 1 year, 350K USD contract. Narita has earned 1.8 WAR over the last three seasons combined with the Niigata Komatsu Bears.

He's a bit of a jerk, but if he pitches well, I've got my potent leftie guy.

2025 Opening Day Roster Set
The Shizuoka Arrows are opening the season at home against the PL Climax Series Champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Hawks RHP Shota Takeda gets the call vs new acquisition RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Asterisks denote new faces.

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto*, RHP Connor Greene RHP Daichi Ishii, RHP Masaya Kyoyama, LHP Yudai Mori, RHP Takahide Ikeda*
Bullpen: RHP Hamilton Andujar*, LHP Kakeru Narita*, RHP Takuya Mitsuma, LHP Hiroki Tokoda, RHP Katsumi Ikeda, RHP Shunta Wakamatsu, RHP Jumpei Takahashi
Closer: RHP Colby White

Fielders
Catcher: Kenya Wakatsuki, Hideyuki Kuga
First Base: Toby Welk
Second Base: Katsuya Seno, Maaki Yamazaki
Shortstop: Sosuke Genda, Kohsuke Sakata
Third Base: Keita Nakagawa, Jo Endo
Left Field: Seiya Yamazaki, Motohide Kinoshta
Center Field: Shizue Uchino
Right Field: Goro Suzuki, Yuta Takano
DH: Atsunori Nishiyama

1B Sho Nakata will be starting the season on the IL due to a hamstring strain.

UPDATE: Now that's how you make an entrance! Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 8 innings of two-run ball, taking a no-hitter into the 6th. His only blemish was a 7th-inning home run to Richard Sunagawa O'Brien, the SoftBank first baseman. Arrows left fielder Seiya Yamazaki had two home runs and three RBI, with new second baseman Katsuya Seno earning the other, and Shizuoka wins Opening Day 4-2.

GM Notebook - May 1, 2025

What the heck is going on in Osaka. The Orix Buffaloes have won twenty-two in a row, covering all but 3 games in May. They sit 7.5 games ahead of SoftBank after one stinkin' month!!

Us? We're 12-15 in sixth place, 3 back of Rakuten for 3rd place. Kyoyama's injured, three of our six starters are doing atrociously, and all the growth of our offense has disappeared.

For supposedly starting the competitive window, we've kinda gone backwards.

I did send Yamamoto a contract extension offer. Time to see if he bites...

Update

It wouldn't have been worth it without this, and now it's official - Yoshinobu Yamamoto is staying in Shizuoka long-term. The Arrows right-hander has pitched to a 4-3 record with a 3.17 ERA, and has been newly minted to an 8-year/38.32M contract, buying out the final year of arbitration for Yamamoto.

GM Notebook - June 1, 2025

We're still sixth, 24-30, 15 games back of Orix for the pennant and 8 back of Chiba Lotte for third. Toby Welk is done for the season with a torn labrum.

Not having fun, diary!!

I think I need to rebuild this roster soon if things don't turn around.

EDIT: 8-17 in June, most of that during interleague. I just don't get it...

July Means Trades

* Gave up on 2B Katsuya Seno - I don't need another .200 average groundball hitter. I've added 3B Yuki Nomura and 1B Sofu Kawaguchi from the Fighters for Seno and Kelvin Gutierrez (who I signed to an FA deal a while ago). Toyoharu Miyake, our top batter prospect, is getting the nod.
* Sent SP Shota Suzuki and his 1.1M contract to the Hawks (who can afford it), getting LHP CC Mercedes to bolster our rotation. RHP Hamilton Andujar heads to the minors to offset.
* And at the trade deadline, sent RHP prospect Roy Garcia and IF Maaki Yamazaki to the Tigers for RF Akiyoshi Yamane, OF Eddy Vizcaino, SS Taro Kamada, and RHP Chihaya Sasaki. I'm good for foreign player starters, don't need more.

All-Star Nods

* Kakeru Narita has been dynamite out of the bullpen, with a 2.81 ERA over 48 IP, and a 13.3 K/9.
* Colby White hasn't been as dominant as before, but his 15 saves and 11.5 K/9 still got him a nod
* Seiya Yamazaki's .282/.377/.504 slash line and 15 HRs make him the only Arrow fielder nominated

Future Stars Nods

* Three starters from our rosters - Roy Garcia, Darling Grullon, and Tetsuya Yoshimoto, who may make it to the big club later this year
* Adrian Luna, our AA closer
* Takahiko Arakawa, the third baseman who bent me over in draft signing negotiations but already has 10 HRs in AA
* Ryuuichi Kono, who's got a 113 wRC+ for our AAA squad

GM Notebook - August 1, 2025

Going 11-7 in July gives me hope. Yoshinobu Yamamoto went 4-0 in the month with a 0.95 ERA and 29 Ks in 28 1/3 IP. If the bats can wake up (i.e. if Keita Nakagawa can stop getting injured), we may have something.

Let's see if this Yamane kid is worth it; I may have my new starting RF if Takano doesn't turn it around. As much as I like the guy, I don't dig his 2.3M arb estimate.

GM Notebook - September 1, 2025

Playoffs are a formality, but something got into this team with the new additions that's giving me hope. 16-10 in August. We're 59-64, having made up all the lost ground from June.

Swapping Sosuke Genda and Toyoharu Miyake on the diamond lets them play to their strengths (Miyake's range, Genda's sure hands), and shore up the defense when our groundballers are on the mound. Yuki Nomura's 141 OPS+ since joining the team has been a revelation.

I may be able to get out of this season with a winning record after all!

2025 Season Review

We had a winning September at 11-9, but not enough to avoid a losing record overall at 70-73.

But I have hope. In the first three months of the year, we went 32-47. The latter three? 38-26. That's a .593 win%, worthy of a playoff team.

Going to have some hard decisions in arbitration; I don't think Nakagawa and Takano are worth their multimillion arb estimates, and with new blood like Yamane, Miyake, and Nomura on the squad (to say nothing of our two stud starters who pitched for 4-time BCL champion Shinano)...I think we can turn the corner.

If anything, last year and this one came out of order.

BAYSTARS END 27 YEAR DROUGHT, WIN JAPAN SERIES

YOKOHAMA - October 17, 2025

This Japan Series went back and forth, but the Yokohama DeNA BayStars used home field advantage and their trio of power hitters in first baseman Hotaka Yamakawa, left fielder Seiya Hosokawa, and right fielder Terufumi Sasaki, to win in 7 games over the Orix Buffaloes.

Game 7 had plenty of intrigue - Shota Imanaga, who started Game 4 for the BayStars, pitched a clean sixth inning in relief of Trevor Castell. DeNA closer Adam Conley suffered a back injury and couldn't complete the ninth, so Toshiaki Kodama stepped up to succeed. And Teruyoshi Morimoto, DeNA center fielder, earned two outfield assists at home as part of the 3-1 triumph.

For the Orix Buffaloes, this was a disappointment. Their third PL pennant and third Japan Series appearance in four seasons should've ended differently, considering they were better than the BayStars by 9 games. The Buffaloes' "murderer's row" of Masataka Yoshida, Ryo Nishimura, Hayato Sakamoto, Ryosuke Kikuchi, and Shogo Akiyama should have been enough. It wasn't.

Earning Japan Series MVP honours was right fielder Terufumi Sasaki, with 5 home runs over the 7 games and a .545/.600/1.318 slash line.

Other Champions
MLB: Tampa Bay Rays
KBO: kt wiz (first in franchise history!)
CPBL: Fubon Guardians

2025-26 Offseason Updates

Pre-Draft
* The Arrows have traded arb-eligible players RHP Camilo Doval and RHP Masahiro Yokoyama for LHP Takeshi Watanabe and 3B Takeshi Harada.
* The Arrows have non-tendered the following players: 1B Keita Nakagawa, RF Yuta Takano, LHP Sachiya Yamasaki
^ Update to above - the first two have been offered contracts as free agents.
* Catcher Kenya Wakatsuki was awarded the Mitsui Golden Glove
* Left fielder Seiya Yamazaki was awarded the Best Nine Award for his position. Yamazaki set new career highs in batting average, OBP, and OPS.
* Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the Eiji Sawamura Award for his efforts this year (a real bounce-back for him!). His 13-12 record was his best in 3 seasons, and over 176 1/3 innings and 27 starts, Yamamoto struck out 170, limiting batters to a .237 average and finishing with a 2.71 ERA. His number of starts and WAR (4.6) led the league.

Draft Report
1. Kikuo Aoki, left-handed starter. He's got good make-up and pitch availability for a high-schooler, and as long as his control develops, he'll be following our current promoted prospects
2. Taisei Murakami, high-school second baseman. Could play shortstop too, and I like his speed and bag.
3. Isamu Hiratsuka, another left-handed high-school pitcher. His third pitch is garbage, but I like his raw stuff and his other two are plus. We need to develop relievers too, y'know.
4. Atsushi Fujimoto, right-fielder with an .868 OPS over 5 Koshien tournament games.
5. Terumoto Nakamoto, right-handed college pitcher with six meh pitches. Could turn into something if his control evens out.
6. Motoshi Oshta, a left-handed high-school pitcher who's already throwing 95-97 mph. If he can add some movement to his bullets, he could be a valuable bullpen arm.
7. Sohachi Nakanishi, another high-school second baseman. Not sure if his glove merits play there; he may be better suited to DH duties having an OPS of 1.124 in Koshien pre-tournament play
8. Yoshiie Kawakami, college second baseman who's going to be switched to first. Line drive hitter who's good at avoiding strikeouts.
9. Tsuneo Saruwatari, meh college catcher but decent power bat.
10. Haruka Kon, high-school right fielder with leadership traits.

Pre-Winter Meetings
* Maaki Yamazaki signed a minor league deal to return to the Arrows organization.
* Yuta Takano returns on a 1yr/295K deal, and Keita Nakagawa signed a minor-league deal w/240K option.

Winter Meetings
* The Japan Series champion Yokohama DeNA BayStars added RHP Hamilton Andujar, RHP Shunta Nakatsuka, and RHP Darling Grullon in a trade from the Shizuoka Arrows. Heading back the other way are catcher Yudai Furukawa, 1B Yoichi Nakamura, and CF Kei Kinoshta.
* The Arrows also sent OF Goro Suzuki and LHP Yoshinori Kanda to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for LHP Kenta Uehara (100% retained), RF Makato Kimura, and RHP Eric Martinez.
* A number of smaller deals were also completed, moving some players who were blocked in the minors, adding new prospects, and LF Malik Collymore who may contribute at the major league level.

Post-Winter Meetings
* The Arrows signed infielder Toshiki Abe (.694 OPS with Kirin last season) to a minor league contract
* Right-handed starter Taiki Ono, who has been a part of the Lions rotation for the last five seasons, signed a $1.065M contract with Shizuoka for 2 years plus a vesting 3rd if he pitches 80 innings.

Baseball Growing Again - MLB Adds Two Teams, CPBL Adds One

NEW YORK and TAIPEI - January 21, 2026

Big news in the baseball world as new teams and structures are announced, with huge ramifications for North America and Taiwan.

Major League Baseball will be welcoming two new franchises for the 2026 season - the Portland Timbers in the American League West, and the Raleigh Capitals in the newly reorganized National League South. The re-dividing of teams will also affect the playoff structure, with the top four divisional seeds advancing, plus two wild cards. The newly renamed First Series (ALFS and NLFS) will be a best of three between the two lowest division leaders and the two wild cards.

ALE: Baltimore, Boston, New York, Tampa Bay
ALW: Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Seattle
ALN: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto
ALC: Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Texas
NLE: New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
NLW: Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco
NLC: Chicago, Colorado, Milwaukee, St. Louis
NLS: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Miami, Raleigh

An expansion draft has been scheduled before the season commences.

The CPBL also returns to a full six-team setup with the reintroduction of the Macoto Cobras franchise, now located in Kaohsiung. The team has already recruited its roster, and will be competing right away.

2026 Opening Day Roster

New faces, new opportunities, and just announced, new uniforms for the team's 5th anniversary next season.

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LHP CC Mercedes, RHP Conner Greene RHP Taiki Ono, RHP Daichi Ishii, LHP Yudai Mori
Bullpen: LHP Kakeru Narita*, RHP Takuya Mitsuma, LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto*, RHP Katsumi Ikeda, LHP Kenta Uehara, RHP Michito Nakayama*
Closer: RHP Colby White

Fielders
Catcher: Kenya Wakatsuki, Yudai Furukawa*
First Base: Toby Welk, Atsunori Nishiyama
Second Base: Sosuke Genda, Satoru Matsushta
Shortstop: Toyoharu Miyake, Kohsuke Sakata
Third Base: Yuki Nomura, Hiroshi Morita
Left Field: Seiya Yamazaki, Ryuuichi Kono*
Center Field: Shizue Uchino, Kota Okuyama*
Right Field: Akiyoshi Yamane, Yuta Takano

Odds are Yoshimoto and Nakayama are going to find themselves in the rotation sooner than later. One season in the bullpen won't hurt.

The Quiver - May 1, 2026
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

What a way to start the season! The Arrows are 16-11 at the end of April, and are second place in the PL, 1.5 games back of the Golden Eagles, and a game ahead of the Buffaloes. It's the best start in franchise history, and that's even with a few injuries. Guys like Miyake and Nomura are picking up right where they left off, and Welk and Nishiyama are contributing like before.

How about that debut from Michito Nakayama? After Conner Greene went on the IL with back spasms, the young right-hander stepped up and delivered 7 innings of 1-run ball, striking out eight Hawks at Kusanagi Stadium. Call-up Malik Collymore even came within a home run of the cycle that day!

Sadly, a number of players were granted their release from minor league contracts to make room for new faces - IF Maaki Yamazaki, 3B Keita Nakagawa, 1B Toshiki Abe, and 3B Max Burt. Best of luck to them in their baseball careers!

GM Notebook - June 1, 2026

Oh man, interleague's upon us. I hope we don't get reamed like we did last season..

No wait, this team's different. We went 16-10 in May, so we're 32-21 to date and still within shouting distance of Rakuten for the PL lead. We even upended Orix at their place to stay in second!

I'm going to have a hard choice coming up soon with Conner Greene finishing his rehab. To bring him up...I need to send Toby Welk down. Hopefully Sofu Kawaguchi works out in his place, that .400 average for Shinano looks good.

Or maybe I sent CC Mercedes down since his May was meh? I'm already thinking not to re-up his arbitration and free up an FP slot exactly for Collymore.

That move should also help out Tetsuya Yoshimoto - poor kid's been rocked a bit since moving to the rotation. And speaking of rotation, I need to figure out what's going on with Yoshinobu Yamamoto...

GM Notebook - July 1, 2026

11-13 in June's interleague. Better than last year, but jeez we have to find a way to win at CL ballparks. Good news is we're still second, tied with Rakuten. Bad news is Orix shared the interleague title with Hanshin, went 17-7, and is 4.5 games ahead of us.

Atsunori Nishiyama hit .370 with 8 HRs to take home Batter of the Month; I just wish we were able to make more use of him aside from as a DH.

I wound up sending CC Mercedes down instead of Welk to accommodate Greene. He hasn't made his way back into the rotation yet, with Taiki Ono doing so well so far. Once Michito Nakayama is back we can figure out who gets to start.

Also need to figure out if Colby White is broken or just tired - he did not have a good end to the month.

Trade deadline's coming up. Could be fun.