Tomoyuki Sugano lost his bid for the first shutout of Japan's new imperial era but still managed to go the distance as the Yomiuri Giants beat the Chunichi Dragons 5-1 in the Central League on Wednesday afternoon.
On the first day of action in Japan's Reiwa Era, Sugano (4-2) struck out 10 batters, reaching 1,002 for his career, and walked one. He allowed four of his seven hits in the ninth inning, when the Dragons scored their only run.
"I wanted a shutout, although it's a win just the same. I'll do my best next time," Sugano told a sell-out crowd of 46,345 at Tokyo Dome. "I was told (my strikeout total before the game), and I was thinking about it every inning trying to get it over as soon as possible."