Rookie right-hander Kota Futaki came within two outs of a shutout as he pitched the Chiba Lotte Marines to a 7-1 win over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Pacific League on Tuesday afternoon.
Before a weekday crowd of 21,520 at Kobo Stadium, the 21-year-old Futaki (1-1) scattered eight hits and a walk over the distance, while striking out six. Working with a six-run lead in the ninth, he surrendered back-to-back, one-out singles before Rakuten rookie Eigoro Mogi broke up the shutout with a sacrifice fly.
"My last game and the game before that, I made early exits and really made extra work for my teammates in middle relief," Futaki said. "So today, I wanted to pitch late into the game. I'm glad I could throw a complete game.