NEWSWORTHY
Hawks' Kodai Senga shuts down Lions for eight innings, nabs first win of season
Kodai Senga struck out 11 over eight innings as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks got past the Seibu Lions 2-0 on Friday. Senga (1-0) surrendered two hits and three walks in his 126-pitch gem to outduel Shinsaburo Tawata (2-1) as the defending Japan Series champs knocked ...
Swallows' hot-hitting lineup firing on all cylinders
Anyone who watched the Tokyo Yakult Swallows play this past week probably still has the Tokyo Ondo stuck in their head. When they close their eyes, they might still see a sea of small, mostly green umbrellas bobbing up and down in rhythm to ...
Lions newcomer Zach Neal gets Japan journey off to bright start
Zach Neal might have had an image of how his first start in Japan might go, but it's unlikely there were Chiba Lotte Marines standing on every base with one out in the second inning in his version. But a grounder to second and a ...
Tomoya Mori leads Lions' hit parade with 4-for-5 performance against Fighters
Opener, closer, middleman, it's all the same to the Seibu Lions' lineup. When the Lions' bats are roaring, it doesn't matter who is on the mound or when they get there, they're going to get hit. Hard. Shogo Akiyama and Tomoya Mori keyed the five-run third ...
Yuki Yanagita homers Hawks past Lions for second straight game
Yuki Yanagita's clutch batting helped drive the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks past the Seibu Lions for the second straight day as his undefeated club beat the defending Pacific League champions 3-1 on Saturday to sweep the three-game opening series. Batting third for the Hawks, Yanagita went ...
Hawks star Yuki Yanagita bashes grand slam in victory over Lions
Yuki Yanagita blasted a fourth-inning grand slam to help the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks earn a 6-5 come-from-behind victory Saturday against the Seibu Lions. The Hawks battled back from three runs down in the bottom of the fourth. After Seiichi Uchikawa scored a run on a ...
Hawks look like Pacific League's best once again
The following is the first of a two-part NPB preview beginning with the 2019 Pacific League. In order of predicted finish: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Manager: Kimiyasu Kudo 2018 record: 82-60-1 (2nd) The Hawks usually look like the best team on paper this time of year and 2019 is no ...
Lions need Imai to step up with Kikuchi gone
Yusei Kikuchi, as Japanese fans can easily see on news reports every night and also on the internet and in newspapers, is doing just fine so far in his first MLB spring training with the Seattle Mariners. But while everyone watches Kikuchi move on from ...
New Seattle Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi said Monday he is "really looking forward" to making his debut on the major league stage he has dreamed of since his hard-throwing days in high school. Kikuchi officially reported to his first MLB spring training camp on Monday, ...
Eagles announce plans to make Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi world's first cashless stadium
The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles want you to leave your cash at home. The Pacific League club late last week unveiled a plan to make its home stadium, Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, completely cashless in 2019. The Eagles say it will be the world's first ...
Yusei Kikuchi's move shows revised posting system not great for NPB clubs
Why would an NPB team post its best players now? If the going rate for someone like Yusei Kikuchi, one of the best pitchers in Japan, is only just over $10 million, how long before NPB clubs see the value in just keeping their top ...
Newly-minted Seattle Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi returned to Japan on Sunday after completing his move to the major leagues this past week, expressing excitement as he begins preparing for the next step in his career. Speaking to reporters at Narita airport outside Tokyo, Kikuchi, one ...
