Throwing a complete game shutout is no easy feat in any professional baseball league, but Yomiuri Giants pitcher Shosei Togo just fired his third complete game shutout of the season. The Giants defeated the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in a 5-0 victory.
In his outing, Togo faced 31 batters, giving up five hits, walking one batter, and hitting one batter while striking out five. The 24-year-old right-handed player on the season holds an 8-6 record, a 2.30 ERA in 19 starts, and has struck out 107 batters within 129 innings of work. Togo has emerged as one of the top pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Just this past May, Togo threw the first no-hitter of his career against the Hanshin Tigers. Togo faced 29 batters in his no-hitter, walking only one batter and punching out five in a 1-0 win. Yomiuri is one game back in the Central League standings, trailing behind the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Togo is in his sixth season in the NPB, all donning a Giants uniform. His past two seasons have been some of his best, compiling a combined 24-13 record in 49 starts, striking out 295 batters within 341.2 innings of work. What was more impressive from him, Togo threw seven complete games, with three of them being shutouts.
He also competed in the 2023 World Baseball Classic with World Champion Samurai Japan. Togo fanned seven against Team China and had a chance to pitch against Team USA, striking out two batters in his appearance. At only 24-years-old, it would be interesting to know if Togo has any interest in pitching in Major League Baseball in the near future.
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WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo Credit: Shosei Togo #12 of Team Japan pitches during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Championship game between Team USA and Team Japan at loanDepot Park on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
