A nation cast its collective eyes on earthquake-ravaged Sendai Friday as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles made their long-awaited return to their home field at Kleenex Stadium following the tragic March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
A sea of emotions was brewing and ace right-hander Masahiro Tanaka delivered the goods with a gritty 3-1 complete-game victory over the Orix Buffaloes.
"I was waiting for this day for a long time. I knew that this would be a special game and I prepared for it well. I am glad that we could get this victory for all our fans," said Tanaka. "I was more hyped than ever on the mound and I went out there with that feeling from the first inning," said the 2007 Rookie of the Year.