The Orix Buffaloes wore nicknames on the back of their uniforms on Saturday. Takahiro Okada, commonly known as “T-Okada,” kept things simple with just a capital “T” on his nameplate. Cleanup hitter Yutaro Sugimoto was a bit more creative, wearing his nickname “Raoh" (from the manga "Fist of the North Star") on his uniform.
Ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was “Yossy.” Yamamoto said it was a little embarrassing, noting that’s what he was called until junior high. He may have been Yossy back then, but now, many fans just call him the best pitcher in Japan.
Yamamoto showed why again on Saturday against the Seibu Lions. Unwilling to let Orix fall further behind in a hotly contested race for the Pacific League pennant, Yamamoto delivered the latest in a string of great pitching performances to keep the Buffaloes firmly on the heels of the first-place Chiba Lotte Marines. Orix is 2½ games back with 27 games left on its schedule.