Baseball

YOKOHAMA – Yuki Nishi worked five innings, and four relievers completed a nine-hit shutout in the Hanshin Tigers’ 7-0 victory over the Yokohama BayStars on Saturday. The Tigers have two games remaining and trail the third-place Hiroshima Carp by half a game in the battle for the Central League’s final […]

TORONTO – Last year, 90 wins wasn’t enough for the Tampa Bay Rays. This year, 96 proved to be the number the Rays needed to reach the postseason. Tampa Bay returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, clinching an AL wild card berth with a 6-2 win […]

Everyone at Tokyo Dome knew what Yomiuri Giants public address announcer Daisuke Takahashi was going say. They just needed to hear him say it one more time, one last time. “Catcher, Abe Shinnosuke,” Takahashi, voice rising to a scream, announced as the Giants took the field. Shinnosuke Abe, one of […]

Former major league pitcher Shingo Takatsu will manage the Tokyo Yakult Swallows next season, and a team source said Thursday an official announcement could be made as early as Sunday. Takatsu currently manages the Swallows’ Eastern League farm team. The farm team wrapped up its season on Thursday. Although Takatsu […]

SEATTLE – When the time finally arrived for Felix Hernandez to say goodbye to Seattle and all the history of 15 seasons with one franchise, his manager had a message as he walked off the mound. “You will always be the king in this town,” Scott Servais said to Hernandez […]

SENDAI – Takahiro Norimoto allowed one hit over five innings for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in a 7-1 thrashing of the Pacific League champion Seibu Lions on Thursday. Although the game completed both teams’ regular season, they could meet again in the final stage of the PL Climax Series, […]

DETROIT – On this night, the stars were Randy Dobnak, Luis Arraez and Eddie Rosario — but really it could have been anyone. The Minnesota Twins are AL Central champions because of contributions from all over the roster. Arraez and Rosario homered, and Dobnak allowed one hit in six sparkling […]

Yomiuri Giants catcher Shinnosuke Abe made his retirement official on Wednesday, saying he felt ready to step away from the game after he ticked enough boxes this season, his 19th in Nippon Professional Baseball. As the former captain of the Tokyo-based Central League club, the last box Abe wanted to […]

NAGOYA – Four pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout on Wednesday for the Chunichi Dragons in a 12-0 Central League win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Kodai Umetsu (4-1), the Dragons’ second-round draft pick last autumn, allowed three hits, issued three walks and struck out six to collect the win. […]

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani showed how to handle an injury setback with grace Tuesday, saying he will benefit from his regret as he will use it as motivation to work harder. Addressing the media for the first time since he underwent left knee surgery […]