Left-handed rookie Haruto Takahashi threw two-hit ball over seven scoreless innings to earn a win in his debut Wednesday as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Hiroshima Carp 4-1.
The second pick in the Tigers' 2017 draft class, Takahashi (1-0) fanned five of the 22 batters he retired in his first NPB start at Koshien Stadium, while Carp lefty Kyohei Nakamura (0-1) gave up four hits and six walks in 4⅓ innings before being relieved.
In a preview of what was to come, Takahashi opened with a strike against the first batter he faced, Kosuke Tanaka, and then stopped the shortstop's grounder for the first out of the game.