Good day for Dutchies in Japan

Today Rick van den Hurk had his third start of the season, when the Softbank Hawks took on the Orix Buffaloes, the team that has not homered yet in the 2016 season.

Wladimir Balentien and his Yakult Swallows played in Yokohama vs the DeNA BayStars.

Rick van den Hurk pitched a stellar game vs the Orix Buffaloes. After retiring the side inthe first and second inning, Rick gave up an unearned run in the third inning when Yuichi Honda bobbled the ball that was hit by Tadashi Yoshida and thus allowed Horoyuki Nakajima to score the opening run. But that was about all the mishap that Rick would encounter. The Hawks would tie the game on a solo homerun hit by Shuhei Fukada.

In the next four innings Rick would give up only one more run in the fourth inning. In the fifth, sixth and seventh inning, Rick would retire the side.

In seven innings Rick gave up four hits, walked none and fanned five. Rick now has a 2-0 record with a 1.64 ERA.

Wladimir Balentien played a good game at bat. The slugger from Curacao, who recently returned from the DL and homered in his first game. In this game vs the BayStars, Balentien led off with a double down the left field line in the second inning.

In the fourth inning he drove in the first run for the Swallows as he hit a solo homerun that cleared the left field fence.
His second RBI of the game came on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Eventually the Yakult Swallows lost 10-5, but nevertheless Balentien played a good game in which he went 2 for 4 with a sac fly and two RBI.