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?