BASEBALL Cleanup hitter Shota Nakamoto hit a tiebreaking homer in a four-run 11th inning Tuesday as Nichinan Gakuen of Miyazaki Prefecture held off Kanagawa’s Toko Gakuen 9-6 in the national high school baseball championship. [KYODO]

BASEBALL Philadelphia Phillies infielder Tadahito Iguchi on Monday hit his first home run since he moved to the club from the Chicago White Sox. [MSN MAINICHI]

BASEBALL Hideki Matsui blasted his 18th home run of the season on Wednesday to help the New York Yankees defeat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 at Kauffman Stadium. [MSN MAINICHI]

BASEBALL Tadahito Iguchi connected for a two-base hit that brought two runners home but his Chicago White Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers 13-9 on Wednesday. [MSN MAINICHI]

BASEBALL In his first three games against the Yomiuri Giants this season, Yokohama BayStars starter Kimiyasu Kudo looked more like a batting practice pitcher. [YOMIURI]

BASEBALL No autographs allowed — in any language. When a Japanese reporter recently asked Roger Clemens for an autograph, he got a signed photo and a swift penalty: His membership in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America was revoked. [AP]

BASEBALL Ichiro felt so good Monday that he tried talking Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren into letting him play center field that night. [ASAHI]

BASEBALL It was hardly baseball weather, but the Yomiuri Giants got what they came for at Koshien Stadium on Monday — a victory and a return to first place. [YOMIURI]

BASEBALL A drawn-out, soul-searching process that finally saw Ichiro put his signature on a new contract Friday didn’t gather steam until the Mariners began winning in late May. [SEATTLE TIMES]

BASEBALL Yuki Saito’s impressive unbeaten run came to a halt on Sunday, when the Waseda University right-hander blew a two-run lead in Japan’s 7-3 loss to the United States in their collegiate all-star series. [YOMIURI]

BASEBALL Kenshin Kawakami and two relievers combined on a six-hit shutout and Tyrone Woods hit a two-run homer, leading the Chunichi Dragons to a 3-0 win over the Hanshin Tigers on Saturday. [KYODO]

BASEBALL Central League baseball team Tokyo Yakult Swallows has begun a summer collaboration with film studio Toho, whose new animated film Pokémon Diamond & Pearl – Dialgo VS Palkia VS Darkrai opens on July 14. By combining professional baseball and Pokémon, the two are hoping to make this summer holiday at Jingu Stadium the best one for Japanese children yet.

BASEBALL Orix Buffaloes infielder Kazuhiro Kiyohara announced Wednesday he must undergo another operation on his ailing left knee and will be out for the remainder of the season. [YOMIURI]

BASEBALL Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Masumi Kuwata tasted the bitter side of life in the major leagues on Monday, taking his first loss after being rocked for seven runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. [KYODO]

BASEBALL Orix Buffaloes big-bopper Kazuhiro Kiyohara plans to travel to the United States to have his left knee examined, he announced at a Sunday press conference in Kobe. [YOMIURI]

BASEBALL After yesterday’s defeat against Keio University, Waseda won today’s game 9-5, securing the Tokyo Big 6 Baseball League championship victory.

BASEBALL In the 8th week of the intercollegiate Tokyo Big 6 Baseball League, the baseball match traditionally held between top Tokyo universities Keio and Waseda ended with Keio beating Waseda 7-3.