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Back-to-Back Complete Game Shutouts for Hokkaido
On Sunday, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters starting pitcher Takayuki Katoh threw a complete game shutout in a 5-0 win against the Chiba Lotte Marines. Katoh’s teammate, Koki Kitayama, threw the first complete game shutout of his career for the Fighters on Saturday.
According to Yahoo News Japan, Kitayama and Katoh are the first pair of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters pitchers to throw back-to-back complete game shutouts since July 4-5, 1995, when Kip Gross and Yukihiro Nishizaki accomplished the feat against the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Despite giving up nine hits, Katoh held the Marines scoreless on Sunday, striking out five and walking one on 121 pitches.
Buffaloes Hiroya Miyagi Strikes Out 11
Orix Buffaloes starting pitcher Hiroya Miyagi struck out 11 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks hitters on Sunday in a 3-1 win.
The 2021 Pacific League Rookie of the Year will have big shoes to fill in his first season without Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the starting rotation. Yamamoto played seven seasons in NPB with the Orix Buffaloes and signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason.
Miyagi, who threw 118 pitches in the game, represented Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Yokohama DeNA BayStars Shugo Maki Celebrates 26th Birthday with Home Run
Shugo Maki, second baseman for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth, his second home run of the year, in Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Maki, who turned 26 on Sunday, is a two-time NPB All-Star (2022, 2023) and played for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He may switch to Major League Baseball at some point in his career if given the opportunity.
This Day in Japanese Baseball History
On April 21, 1995, pitcher Koji Noda of the Orix Blue Wave set an NPB record for strikeouts in a game, punching out 19 Chiba Lotte Marines hitters in a no-decision.
He finished 1995 with 208 strikeouts in 184.1 innings and recorded 1,325 strikeouts in his 12-year NPB career with the Hanshin Tigers (1988-92) and Orix Blue Wave (1993-99).
NPB Scores from Sunday
– Yokohama DeNA BayStars Defeat Tokyo Yakult Swallows 8-3
– Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Defeat Saitama Seibu Lions 1-0
– Orix Buffaloes Defeat Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 3-1
– Hanshin Tigers Defeat Chunichi Dragons 3-0
– Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Yomiuri Giants Tie 0-0
– Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Defeat Chiba Lotte Marines 5-0