Baseball / Japanese Baseball | NPB NOTEBOOK Jun 20, 2022
NPB experiencing surge of no-hitters
by Jason Coskrey
With four no-hitters and a couple of near misses already this season, it's possible there is more misery on the horizon for NPB hitters.
Japanese Baseball Jun 8, 2022
BayStars Shota Imanaga hurls no-hitter as Fighters lose five straight
Imanaga issued only one walk in a 117-pitch outing at Sapporo Dome, striking out nine with his Central League team scoring two runs in the ninth inning to help the lefty get the win.
Baseball Nov 13, 2019
Japan drives past Mexico as Hayato Sakamoto breaks out of slump
by Jason Coskrey
Japan manager Atsunori Inaba professed his belief in shortstop Hayato Sakamoto, even as the star infielder struggled at the plate during the Premier12. With Japan looking to bounce back from its first loss of the tournament and facing undefeated Mexico, Sakamoto was back in a ...
Baseball Nov 1, 2019
Shota Imanaga, four Samurai Japan relievers toss four-hit shutout against Canada
Shota Imanaga struck out six over three scoreless innings and four relievers completed a four-hitter as Samurai Japan completed its two-game series against Canada with a 3-0 win. The win at Okinawa Cellular Field earned a series split before the two teams kick off their ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Oct 5, 2019
Fumiya Hojo-led Tigers stage spirited rally against BayStars in CL Climax Series opener
by Jason Coskrey
Big, improbable comebacks are becoming the Hanshin Tigers' speciality. Fumiya Hojo hit a three-run home run to get the Tigers close in the seventh and put them ahead with a two-run triple in the eighth as a spirited rally resulted in an 8-7 win over ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | Sac Bunts Sep 9, 2019
Race for Sawamura Award going down to wire
by Jason Coskrey
With the NPB season nearly over — no team has more than 16 games left — it's almost time for the group of retired pitchers who vote on the Sawamura Award to sit down and have a chat. When they finish lamenting that none of ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Aug 25, 2019
Shota Imanaga, Tomo Otosaka lead BayStars over Central League-leading Giants
Shota Imanaga pitched six solid innings and Tomo Otosaka drove in two runs on Sunday in the DeNA BayStars' 3-0 win over the Central League-leading Yomiuri Giants. In front of 45,948 at Tokyo Dome, Imanaga (12-5) struck out eight of the 21 batters he faced, ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jul 25, 2019
Shota Imanaga threw a four-hitter on Thursday, leading the Yokohama BayStars to a 6-0 victory over the Hanshin Tigers. Imanaga (9-5) issued one walk, while striking out four in a 124-pitch effort for the BayStars at Koshien Stadium. He also singled and scored a run ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball May 31, 2019
Shota Imanaga struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings and Neftali Soto hit his 15th home run and the Yokohama BayStars held off the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3-2 in the Central League on Friday. The loss was the Swallows' 15th straight, one shy of the ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jul 5, 2018
BayStars' Shota Imanaga works out of first-inning jam, earns first victory since June 10
by Jason Coskrey
Yokohama BayStars manager Alex Ramirez has been asking to see pitcher Shota Imanaga's fighting spirit all season. Once he saw the left-hander escape an early bases-loaded jam against the Yomiuri Giants on Thursday night, he felt like he was going to get his wish. Imanaga ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Apr 24, 2018
Carp whip BayStars, spoil starter Shota Imanaga's season debut
Right-hander Yuta Nakamura worked into the ninth inning for the Hiroshima Carp in Tuesday's 7-2 victory over the Yokohama BayStars. The BayStars, who upset the CL champion Carp last autumn in the playoffs, had two key players making their season debuts, lefty Shota Imanaga and ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Nov 20, 2017
MLB scouts keep tabs on young players at APBC
by Kaz Nagatsuka
There were no elite players like Shohei Otani or Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, but the Asia Professional Baseball Championship served as a good showcase for MLB scouts to try and identify some up-and-coming, and possibly future MLB, talent. In fact, one anonymous major league scout said it ...