Takayuki Kishi got the job done in his first game with the Pacific League-leading Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, who beat the Chiba Lotte Marines 4-1 on Sunday.
Kishi, the former ace of the Seibu Lions, joined the Eagles in the offseason as a free agent but was scratched from his Opening Day start due to a bout of influenza. When he finally took the mound, Kishi (1-0) allowed a run over six innings. He surrendered four hits and two walks, while striking out four.
"I had not been pulling my weight (due to illness). The atmosphere on the team is really good and I didn't want to mess that up," the 32-year-old Kishi said.