Jim Allen

The kids, or at least Japan’s two biggest young stars, were alright Friday, when the Yakult Swallows and DeNA BayStars began their battle for Central League supremacy, while the third-place Orix Buffaloes and second-place Seibu Lions slugged began slugging it out.

Shall we get to it?

Friday’s games

Marines 2, Eagles 0: At Chiba Marine Stadium, Roki Sasaki (8-3) struck out eight over seven innings while walking two a week after the Eagles lit him up in Sendai. Takashi Ogino homered off Takayuki Kishi (7-8) homered in the third, and Hisanori Yasuda doubled in Seiya Inoue with an eighth-inning insurance run on his fourth hit, off Tomohiro Anraku. An unrepentant domestic abuser earned the save for Lotte.

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It was a streak-ending Thursday in Japan, while Shosei Togo had a huge game for the Central League’s struggling Yomiuri Giants, and there were a pair of big comebacks in the Pacific League.

OK. It wasn’t the most exciting day in baseball this week, but it is Roki Eve, and perhaps he’ll be more impressive than his 5.48 ERA this season against Rakuten. Friday will also start another showdown series between Yakult and DeNA, so that should be fun.

Thursday’s games

Tigers 5, BayStars 0: At Osaka Dome, Junya Nishi (5-2), a former DH for Japan’s under-18 national team, spun six innings and went 2-for-3 as Hanshin snapped an eight-game losing streak, and ended DeNA’s eight-game win streak.

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writing & research on Japanese baseball

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NPB news: Aug. 26, 2022

Friday’s games

NPB news: Aug. 25, 2022

Thursday’s games

writing & research on Japanese baseball