The Chiba Lotte Marines and their fans were already well aware of Brandon Laird and his sushi-making ways before this season.
They just like the "Makuhari Sushi" a lot better than the version that was on the menu before.
Laird put a jolt into the Lotte faithful with a towering three-run homer in the sixth that gave the Marines a one-run lead they wouldn't give up in a 5-4 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the season opener on a chilly Friday night in front of a crowd of 30,308 at Zozo Marine Stadium.