Shohei Tateyama hasn't done much pitching for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows this season, but his presence is still being felt to some extent on the diamond through Seibu Lions starter Ken Togame.
In his most recent outing for the surging Lions on Tuesday, Togame shut out the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, at the time the top team in the Pacific League, over seven innings, allowing just three hits with a pair of walks. Spurred on by the extra motivation of not wanting to be responsible for his team's first loss in nine games, Togame held the Eagles in check as the Lions roared to their 10th straight win of the season.
Afterward, Togame threw some credit to Tateyama, the Swallows veteran who has been ravaged by injuries in recent years and has made just two appearances on the top team this season. The two pitchers share a somewhat similar throwing motion and have worked out together over the past two offseasons, with Togame picking up some pointers along the way.