Arai Explains Morishita’s Resurgence After 8-Inning Gem Against the Tigers

Hiroshima Toyo Carp manager Takahiro Arai believes Masato Morishita is finally beginning to look like himself again.

Morishita delivered one of his best performances of the season on August 14, pitching eight innings while allowing just one run as the Carp defeated the Hanshin Tigers 6-1 at Mazda Stadium.

The victory ended Hiroshima's six-game losing streak and gave Morishita his first win in 62 days.

After the game, Arai praised the right-hander for his performance against the league-leading Tigers.

“It was truly an outstanding pitching performance,” Arai said.

Morishita was especially impressive when he faced trouble in the eighth inning. With no outs and runners on first and second, he managed to limit the damage to just one run before escaping the inning.

“It looked like he was squeezing everything he had out of himself,” Arai said. “I think the fact that he was able to shut down their powerful middle of the order was a big part of what made it such a good outing.”

Morishita had spent time in the minors earlier this season while working through a difficult stretch. He returned to the first team on August 7 against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, allowing two runs over seven innings but taking the loss.

Arai said he could already see a significant difference from that outing.

“It's been almost a month since his previous start, and he had clearly changed,” Arai said. “I think today's pitching was the Morishita we know. I'm looking forward to his next start as well.”

Morishita also contributed at the plate.

With Hiroshima's offense having gone 24 consecutive innings without scoring, the right-hander broke the drought in the second inning with an RBI single off Tigers starter Yuki Saiki.

The Carp then added home runs from Ryosuke Kikuchi and Tai Sasaki, building a lead that allowed Morishita to attack the Tigers lineup with confidence.

Arai was also pleased with Sasaki, who went 2-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season.

“He's gradually developing,” Arai said. “It was a hanging breaking ball, but the way he pulled it and hit a big home run shows that he's making progress little by little.”

For Hiroshima, the victory was about more than simply ending a losing streak. The Carp had been struggling badly, sitting in last place and facing the league-leading Tigers at a particularly difficult point in the season.

The return of Morishita's best form could therefore be significant for a pitching staff that has been dealing with increasing fatigue and injuries.

Arai, however, kept his focus on the immediate future.

“Today, in front of a full house, we were able to put on a good game,” he said. “We want to work hard so that tomorrow can be another good day.”