Junya Nishi returned to his slugging past as he belted his first home run while throwing his first complete game as a pro in the Hanshin Tigers' 8-1 Central League win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Wednesday.
At Jingu Stadium, Nishi (2-0) belted a two-run second-inning home run, one of four hit by the Tigers, and also struck out seven and allowed one run on six hits over the distance.
As a high school senior, Nishi had both pitched and batted as Japan's designated hitter in baseball's 2019 Under-18 World Cup. His two home runs tied him for the tournament lead, while his 17 strikeouts were tied for second most among pitchers.