Struggling power hitter Takeya Nakamura delivered a three-run homer while teammate Hotaka Yamakawa launched his Pacific League-leading 11th big fly on Thursday as the Seibu Lions took down the Chiba Lotte Marines 7-0. Floundering at the plate since the start of the season, Nakamura finally cleared the Belluna Dome fence […]
Shohei Ohtani lights up Fenway with 11-strikeouts and two hits in win
Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani followed in the footsteps of Babe Ruth again on Thursday with an impressive pitching debut at Fenway Park. Ohtani struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings in the Angels’ 8-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. He also had two hits, slamming an […]
Former MLB reliever Junichi Tazawa signs with Generals in Mexican League
Toronto – Japanese right-hander Junichi Tazawa has joined the Durango Generals, a professional baseball team in the Mexican League, the team said Wednesday. The 35-year-old journeyman spent parts of nine seasons in MLB, and was a member of the World Series-winning Boston Red Sox team in 2013. He played in […]
Yusei Kikuchi picks up first win of 2022 as Blue Jays snap Yankees’ win streak at 11
Toronto – Yusei Kikuchi pitched six innings, his longest outing of the season, and recorded his first win of 2022 as the Toronto Blue Jays edged the New York Yankees 2-1 on Wednesday night to end the visitors’ 11-game winning streak. Kikuchi (1-1), making his fifth start of the season, […]
Gosuke Katoh cut as Blue Jays trim roster
Toronto – The Toronto Blue Jays designated infielder Gosuke Katoh for assignment as one of their moves to trim the active roster from 28 to 26, the team announced Wednesday. Katoh, who got his first-ever big league hit in a game against the Boston Red Sox last week, was immediately […]
Yuki Yanagita homers for second day in row as Hawks beat Buffaloes
Yuki Yanagita homered for the second day in a row on Wednesday, delivering the go-ahead run with a seventh inning solo blast as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks held off the Pacific League champion Orix Buffaloes 2-1. A day after lifting the Hawks to a 7-3 win with his grand slam, […]
Australian Baseball League eyes adding team with Japanese players
The Australian Baseball League is looking to add a team comprised mainly of Japanese players as early as the season starting in November 2023, a source with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday. The southern hemisphere summer league plays during Japan’s winter offseason, and Japanese pro teams have long been […]
Cheerleaders take center stage as ‘flowers’ of South Korean baseball
Incheon, South Korea – In baseball-mad South Korea, teams of professional cheerleaders pumping up players and fans with elaborate K-pop routines are as integral to the games as beer and fried chicken. Imported by American missionaries more than 100 years ago, baseball is South Korea’s most cherished spectator sport — […]
Lotte ace Roki Sasaki set to start Friday after rest
Chiba – Roki Sasaki, whose 19-strikeout April 10 perfect game attracted worldwide attention, will make his next start Friday after an 11-day break, Chiba Lotte Marines manager Tadahito Iguchi revealed Monday. “That’s the plan, more or less,” Iguchi said Monday when Sasaki worked out with the Marines’ other starting pitchers […]
Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki named National League Rookie of the Month
New York – Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki was named the National League’s Rookie of the Month for April, Major League Baseball announced Monday. The 27-year-old former Hiroshima Carp slugger batted .279 with four home runs and 14 RBIs during his first month in the big leagues. He is the […]