OSAKA -- Yakult pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii, playing in what may be his final season in Japan, completely silenced the big guns of the Buffaloes on Saturday night and Alex Ramirez delivered on offense as the Swallows jumped all over Kintetsu for a 7-0 victory in Game 1 of the Japan Series.
Game 2 goes tonight, also at the Osaka Dome.
Ishii, a 28-year-old veteran who has drawn considerable interest from the major leagues, certainly didn't hurt his chances for overseas employment Saturday. The big left-hander limited Kintetsu's vaunted offense to a single hit through eight innings. In fact, only one Kintetsu runner got as far as second on the evening as Ishii consistently baffled the Buffs, finishing up with a dozen strikeouts while walking five.