Dragons torch Marines to even Series

The Chunichi Dragons evened the Japan Series on Sunday night with a 12-1 thrashing of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Game 2 at Nagoya Dome.

Southpaw Chen Wei-yin got the job done in his Series debut, allowing a run in six innings, while the Dragons pounded Lotte lefty Bill Murphy for seven runs in 1-1/3 innings.

Chen, 13-10 with a 2.87 ERA during the season, allowed four hits and hit a batter, while striking out five.

"Not going down 2-0 is huge," Dragons manager Hiromitsu Ochiai said. "If we lose, it's almost like there's no tomorrow. Under those conditions Chen was very composed."

The 12 runs set a Dragons' record for runs in a Series game, surpassing the 11 they scored here in Game 2 against the Seibu Lions in 2004.

Kazuhiro Wada went 3-for-3 with a double a walk, three RBIs and three runs. The 38-year-old broke the ice in the bottom of the first with an RBI single as the Dragons wasted no time putting their stamp on this one.

Chen retired the Marines in order in the top of the inning and his teammates put up a four spot for an early lead.

Singles by Masahiro Araki, Masahiko Morino and Wada accounted for the first run. A two-out throwing error by second baseman Tadahito Iguchi loaded the bases for Motonobu Tanishige, who walked to force in the second run.

Rookie left-handed-hitting Yohei Oshima, who hit .308 off lefties this year, doubled in two to all but put a cork in Game 2 in the first inning.

Wada's no-out, bases-loaded double in the second was the last straw for Murphy. Morino, who walked, was thrown out at the plate, but Kei Nomoto singled off right-hander Shingo Ono to make it 7-0.

Murphy surrendered four earned runs on six hits and three walks as Lotte's record-tying streak of eight straight Series wins ended with a thud.

In the top of the third with 20 outs remaining to mount an improbable comeback, the Marines ran up the white flag. Manager Norifumi Nishimura sent Ono up to bat.

The Dragons padded their lead in the bottom of the third.

Chen doubled with one out and Araki singled him to third. Hirokazu Ibata hit a tailor-made double play ball to Iguchi, but the Marines second baseman fumbled it and could only get a force at second as Chen scored.

Ono walked the bases loaded for Tony Blanco, who opened his Series account with a two-run single that made it 10-0.

The 10 runs were the most in a Series game since the Marines put up double digits in three straight to open the 2005 matchup, a four-game sweep of the Hanshin Tigers.

The visitors got on the board in the fourth, when Chen hit the leadoff man, and singles by Iguchi and Imae pushed home a run.

Blanco made it 12-1 in the sixth with his first Series homer, off Takuya Furuya, the Marines' third pitcher.

"I saw a lot of games this season where we bounced back like this after losses like we suffered yesterday," Ochiai said.

"I would say it's pretty normal for us. Now we just have to make sure not to get ahead of ourselves."