Hawks win as Alfredo Despaigne's homers decide Wada-Kaneko classic
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks slugger Alfredo Despaigne stole the spotlight from a duel of big-name pitchers on Monday, homering twice to lead the Pacific League-leading SoftBank Hawks to a 6-3 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. Despaigne capped the Hawks' three-run first inning with a ...
Ex-Buffaloes ace Chihiro Kaneko leads Fighters to victory against old club
Chihiro Kaneko returned to his pro baseball roots on Thursday, throwing five scoreless innings to earn the win as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters defeated the Orix Buffaloes 7-3. Kaneko (1-1) had for years been Orix's ace pitcher but left last winter in a contract ...
Athletics dominant in win over Fighters as MLB sides complete Sunday sweep
Chihiro Kaneko had great success throwing his changeup past the Oakland Athletics' hitters during his time on the mound on Sunday night. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, the damage had already been done. Khris Davis drove in two runs, the Oakland bullpen mostly held down ...
Chihiro Kaneko draws attention from Yu Darvish, others, because of change-up
Chihiro Kaneko, as a 35-year-old veteran of 13 seasons, probably possesses a fair amount of wisdom he can impart on the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters pitchers younger than him. Even those who have already moved on. Former Fighters ace and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish ...
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters announced Tuesday they have reached a contract agreement with right-handed free agent pitcher Chihiro Kaneko, who sepnt 13 seasons with the Orix Buffaloes. Kaneko, who received a reported ¥600 million ($5.27 million) salary in the 2018 season with Orix, pitched ...
Orix Buffaloes right-hander Chihiro Kaneko, who won every postseason award on offer for a pitcher in 2014, will be released, the Pacific League club revealed Wednesday. Kaneko won the PL's MVP Award and the Sawamura Award as Japan's most impressive starting pitcher in 2014. He ...
Buffaloes ace Chihiro Kaneko picks up first victory of season
Orix ace Chihiro Kaneko allowed a run over six innings Wednesday, winning his first game of the season in a 5-2 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Kaneko (1-4), the Sawamura Award and Pacific League MVP from 2014, allowed an unearned run on two ...
Tigers' Messenger off to sensational start this season
A baseball season may be a marathon, but there's something to be said for getting off to a fast start. That's what Hanshin Tigers pitcher Randy Messenger has done, and on Tuesday he received some of the early fruits of his labor. Japanese baseball unveiled the ...
Ace Chihiro Kaneko overcame a tough second inning to go the distance in the Orix Buffaloes' 4-3 Pacific League win over the Seibu Lions on Wednesday. Kaneko (4-0) pitched out of a second-inning jam to keep the game scoreless and the Buffaloes got to Seibu ...
Yuki Miyazaki homered twice and ace Chihiro Kaneko overcame an early run to lead the Orix Buffaloes to an 8-4 Pacific League win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Thursday. The Buffaloes, who won their fourth straight, took the lead on Miyazaki's first homer ...
Orix ace Chihiro Kaneko threw a two-hit shutout on Friday as the surprising Buffaloes opened their weekend series with a 9-0 victory over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Kaneko (2-0) struck out five without issuing a walk. The right-hander didn't allow a hit until the Buffaloes ...
Itoi's three-homer performance guides Buffaloes past Fighters
Yoshio Itoi hit three home runs to power the Orix Buffaloes to a 5-1 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Thursday. Itoi led off with a solo homer into the right stands at Sapporo Dome in the first inning and blasted a two-run ...
