Three games were scheduled for Friday, but rain prevented the Yakult Swallows and Hanshin Tigers from playing a meaningless contest at Jingu Stadium, and forced the umps to call the Chunichi Dragons game against the DeNA Deniers in Yokohama. DeNA is one game back of the second-place Hiroshima Carp and three ahead of the fourth-place Yomiuri Giants.

The Pacific League’s lone game was meaningful for the Rakuten Eagles, who started the day 1-1/2 games back of the third-place SoftBank Hawks, who currently occupy the PL’s last playoff spot.

Off the field, Nippon Professional Baseball has approved the qualifications of one team aspiring to join NPB as a minor league team in 2024.

Friday’s game

Fighters 3, Eagles 0: At Miyagi Stadium, Nippon Ham rookie Shoma Kanemura (2-1) returned to the majors, threw 6-2/3 impressive innings and declared himself fit and cured of his strikeout fixation.

Kanemura, who was sidelined with shoulder discomfort in April after four starts in which he struck out six-plus batters each game, began pitching in the minors in July and after striking out more than one batter per inning in both the minors and the majors, fanned just three Eagles.

“I was really nervous, pitching for the first time in so long, but I was able to pitch the way I need to,” he said.

Continue reading NPB news: Sept. 22, 2023 →