Kenta Maeda struck out eight of the 10 batters he faced for Japan in Thursday's 8-3 Premier 12 warmup win over Puerto Rico, but it was another story for Shohei Otani, who is slated to start Sunday's opener.
Maeda, fresh off winning his second Sawamura Award as Japan's most impressive starting pitcher, allowed one hit but no walks in three innings. Otani, however, picked up where his season ended in a disappointing playoff loss on Oct. 10. The Nippon Fighters ace allowed two runs in two innings.
"Maeda pitched well and our guys got hits," Samurai Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo said after the game at Yafuoku Dome. "I'm not worried."