CHIBA – 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.
Before 12,823 on a rainy day at Zozo Marine Stadium, the Eagles opened with a bang, Eigoro Mogi taking Yuki Karakawa deep to leadoff the first. Hiroaki Shimauchi’s two-out, bases-loaded single made it a 2-0 game, although the inning ended on the play when Japhet Amador made an ill-advised attempt to score from second.
“I was pretty nervous, but getting two runs in the first inning helped. I got into some jams but was able to pitch out of them,” said Kishi.
“The best thing was my being able to maintain my concentration and execute in the rain.”
Mogi singled in a run in the fourth, while the Marines scored their run in the sixth on a homer by Marines captain Daichi Suzuki.
Karakawa (0-2) gave up three runs in six innings on eight hits and five walks. He struck out three.
Rakuten lefty Yuki Matsui threw a 1-2-3 ninth to record his fourth save.
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Tohoku Rakuten's Takayuki Kishi pitches during the Eagles' 4-1 win over the Marines on Sunday. | KYODO
