Dragons starter Yuya Yanagi fans 13 in electrifying complete-game effort
The Chiba Lotte Marines invited the band from nearby Narashino High School to sit in left field and power their cheering section on Friday night. Turns out, the kids ended up helping to provide the perfect soundtrack for an entertaining pitcher's duel between 20-somethings Yuya ...
Home run celebrations becoming commonplace in Japanese game
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks infielder Kenji Akashi briefly went viral across baseball late last week when he hit a three-run sayonara home run and celebrated with a backflip onto home plate. Well, near home plate, as he had to go back and actually step on ...
Brandon Laird powers Marines past Eagles as rookie teammate Kyota Fujiwara makes Opening Night start
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 ...
The Chiba Lotte Marines have acquired former Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters third baseman Brandon Laird, the team announced on Monday. Laird joined the Fighters in 2015 after stints in the majors with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. The 31-year-old was named MVP in ...
Fighters' Sho Nakata, Brandon Laird ignite winning rally against Lions
A pair of big at-bats by Sho Nakata and Brandon Laird against tiring lefty Yusei Kikuchi lifted the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to a 5-3 win against the Pacific League-leading Seibu Lions on Friday. Amid speculation this week of his being posted to the major ...
Fighters' Brandon Laird still getting kick of out fans' excitement
Brandon Laird was on his way back to the clubhouse after practice on Saturday when he spotted a young boy looking down on him from the stands. The boy wore a yellow shirt and black-rimmed glasses and a baseball glove covered one of his ...
Shohei Ohtani's MLB fireworks wow Japanese baseball world
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters were busy preparing to face the Chiba Lotte Marines on Saturday afternoon when the events happening at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, reached the visitors' clubhouse at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba. Shohei Ohtani, their former teammate who is in ...
Fighters hit machine Kensuke Kondo has fans wondering if batting .400 is possible
There are some who think Kensuke Kondo could've hit .400 last season. That had a herniated disc not sidelined the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters catcher, the position at which he's listed but rarely actually plays anymore (he's mostly the DH or in the outfield), for ...
Nick Martinez tosses first nine-inning complete game as Fighters top Marines
Going into Friday night, Nick Martinez had never thrown a full nine innings or earned an NPB victory. Check, and check. Martinez went the distance, Brandon Laird backed him up with a home run and the suddenly streaking Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters survived an eighth-inning rally ...
Fighters slugger Brandon Laird whacks game-winning double in ninth against Eagles
Brandon Laird drove in a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning to help the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters beat the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 2-0 and earn their first win of the seasonon Tuesday. Before a crowd of 26,662 at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, ...
Seibu ace Yusei Kikuchi refuses to rest on laurels
Yusei Kikuchi has put last year behind him. All the wins, the career numbers and accolades, firmly in the rearview mirror. His brush with the Sawamura Award, now just a fond memory. "Last year was last year, and this year is this year," Kikuchi told ...
Laird confident Fighters can compete in 2018
Brandon Laird rounded third base wearing a big smile on Saturday afternoon at Jingu Stadium. As he headed for home, Laird held out his left hand and tapped his palm with the index and middle fingers of his right, pantomiming someone making sushi, as ...
