Roki Sasaki did not know what to expect from his first start of the NPB season.
He had not pitched in a game since taking the mound for Samurai Japan against Mexico in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami on March 20.
The Chiba Lotte Marines star was a long way away from South Florida on Thursday afternoon — it was chilly enough at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba that Sasaki wore a jacket as he warmed up before the game. The stadium's famous swirling winds made it feel more like December than April as they whipped around even more tempestuously than usual. Sasaki was also going to be pitching with the NPB ball again after using the WBC ball since mid-February.