If the pressure of making his NPB debut at Tokyo Dome in front of 42,870 fans got to Yomiuri Giants left-hander Kazuto Taguchi, the 19-year-old didn't let it show — on the mound or at the plate.
Taguchi was calm, cool and collected over seven innings of one-run ball and put himself in the driver's seat with the tiebreaking RBI single in the fourth as the Giants bounced back with a 2-1 win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the second game of the teams' Tokyo Series on Saturday afternoon.
"This is my first chance to pitch in front of so many fans," Taguchi said. "I was in awe. My catcher (Kazunari) Sanematsu called a nice game and it was easy to follow his lead."