Baseball / Japanese Baseball May 20, 2022
The win preserved the Swallows' slim lead over the Yomiuri Giants, who edged the Hiroshima Carp 2-1.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | The week in NPB May 17, 2021
Roki Sasaki makes highly anticipated NPB debut with Marines
by Jason Coskrey
The "monster" finally made landfall on May 16. Pitcher Roki Sasaki was Japan's most-hyped rookie in some time when the Chiba Lotte Marines won his rights in the 2019 draft. He didn’t pitch on the top team in 2020, but that didn’t slow the swell ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | The week in NPB Aug 17, 2020
Yasuhiro Ogawa's no-hitter provides major lift for Swallows pitching staff
by Jason Coskrey
The Swallows are in desperate need of good results on the mound.
Japanese Baseball Aug 16, 2020
Swallows' Yasuhiro Ogawa fires Japanese pro ball's 93rd no-hitter
Tokyo Yakult Swallows right-hander Yasuhiro Ogawa threw the first no-hitter of the season on Saturday and the first of his career in a 9-0 Central League win over the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Ogawa's gem was the 93rd no-hitter in the history of Japanese pro baseball, ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Oct 13, 2018
Giants seize opportunities in Game 1 triumph over Swallows
by Kaz Nagatsuka
Without hesitation, the Swallows sent their Giants killer to the mound for Saturday's postseason series opener, but it did not work out the way they had hoped. Instead, the Giants who came through, scoring key late runs and relying on solid pitching in their 4-1 ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Sep 11, 2018
Clutch performances by Wladimir Balentien and Yasuhiro Ogawa give Tokyo Yakult Swallows a big win
by Jason Coskrey
Wladimir Balentien was more than ready to turn the page on one of his worst weeks of the season. Being able to do it in an important game against the rival Yomiuri Giants was just icing on the cake. Balentien drove in a pair of ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jul 15, 2017
Despaigne, Akiyama, Suzuki supply big hits as PL tops CL in All-Star Series finale
by Jason Coskrey
For one night, it was just like old times for Alfredo Despaigne in Chiba. A monstrous home run, a celebration with Chiba Lotte Marines catcher Tatsuhiro Tamura, and a celebratory "Despa-iine" call-and-response with the fans in right field after the game. It was almost like ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | HIT AND RUN Jul 10, 2017
Swallows fans getting test in patience in 2017
by Jason Coskrey
Tokyo Yakult Swallows fans can be forgiven for being frustrated, even angry, at the way the season has played out thus far. The team is mired in last place and began this week six games out of even fifth place. That's to say nothing of ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Sep 8, 2016
Swallows hurler Ogawa, Eagles reliever Matsui honored as August pitching MVPs
Tokyo Yakult Swallows starter Yasuhiro "Ryan" Ogawa and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles reliever Yuki Matsui were named August pitchers of the month in the Central and Pacific Leagues, respectively, on Thursday. The two league's awards for hitters both went to second basemen, with the Hiroshima ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jun 24, 2016
Swallows' Yamada pounces on Dragons in series opener
by Jason Coskrey
Japanese baseball's interleague interlude gave Central League pitchers a brief respite from having their ERAs ruined by Tetsuto Yamada. But on a somewhat wet Friday night at Jingu Stadium, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows star declared school was back in session. Yamada drove in two runs ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Oct 15, 2015
Swallows blank Giants in Game 2 of CLCS
by Jason Coskrey
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows finally landed a knockout blow against Yomiuri Giants pitcher Miles Mikolas. The fact they got some of their own stars going in the process has them sizing up the rest of the Giants for a similar knockdown before everything is ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Aug 26, 2015
Right-hander Yasuhiro Ogawa withstood five scoring opportunities and drew an 11-pitch bases-loaded walk to spark a four-run fourth inning for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in a 4-0 win over the Yomiuri Giants on Wednesday night. Ogawa (9-6) allowed seven hits, a walk and a hit ...