The rocket blasted off on Sunday, as Roki Sasaki threw what was may have been the best nine-inning game by a professional pitcher ever, a 19-strikeout perfect game that tied Japan’s nine-inning strikeout record and included a record run of 13 in a row, snapping a record of nine that hadn’t been accomplished in 64 years.
Did I mention that this kid’s 20 and his catcher, Ko Matsukawa is an 18-year-old fresh out of high school?
Sasaki promises to be like the Ed Sullivan Show of my youth, and like former Lotte Hall of Famer Choji Murata’s late-career success, Sunday’s “really big show” for some time.
It wasn’t the only show, however, as Nippon Ham scraped out its second walk-off win of the season, while new Seibu imports Brian O’Grady and Dietrich Enns had big firsts in Japan, the Tigers’ struggles continue.
So let’s get started, shall we?
Continue reading NPB news: April 10, 2022