20-year-old pitching phenom Roki Sasaki throws perfect game with 19 strikeouts in Japan's NPB

Apr 10, 2022 | News On Japan

Sasaki, who threw NPB's first perfect game in 28 years, is considered a future MLB prospect

Apr 10, 2022 (cbssports.com) - Roki Sasaki, a 20-year-old right-handed starter for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, may have authored the pitching performance of the year on Sunday by delivering a 19-strikeout perfect game.

Sasaki's perfect game, the first in NPB in 28 years, came against the Orix Buffaloes, a team whose lineup features former big-league players like Breyvic Valera and Rangel Ravelo. It didn't matter to Sasaki, who tied the league record for strikeouts and set a new mark for consecutive strikeouts by notching 13 in a row over one inspired stretch.

Sasaki finished the day with a 106 Game Score, a metric created by Bill James that attempts to put a single number on a pitcher's dominance by factoring in their box score statistics from any given outing. For perspective, the highest Game Score in Major League Baseball last season was the 99 pitched by Baltimore Orioles left-hander John Means in May when he no-hit the Seattle Mariners in an outing that saw him nearly toss a perfect game. Furthermore, the highest game score in MLB since the last round of expansion belongs to former Chicago Cubs phenom Kerry Wood (105), who struck out 20 Houston Astros as part of a one-hitter back in May 1998.

Players to Watch When Japan Faces the Netherlands

Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 when the Samurai Blue face the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas, a clash that will showcase some of the game's most talented players and pit two ambitious teams against one another in a crucial Group F opener. While Japan arrives without injured winger Kaoru Mitoma, one of its most recognizable stars, the squad still boasts a wealth of talent drawn from Europe's top leagues.

El Nino Returns, But Japan Faces Another Hot Summer

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that an El Niño phenomenon is believed to have developed this spring, warning that Japan is likely to experience above-average temperatures nationwide this summer despite the climate pattern's traditional association with cooler summers.

Narita Airport Advances Compulsory Land Acquisition for Runway

Narita International Airport Corporation is expected to announce next month that it will apply to the national government for project certification as part of the process to enable compulsory land acquisition for the construction of a new runway at Narita Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

Japan Cycling Association Head Arrested Over Alleged 30 Million Yen Fraud

Two men, including the head of the Japan Cycling Association, have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of defrauding two men in Kagoshima Prefecture out of 30 million yen by falsely promising a massive return on a purported patent-related investment.

Another Bear Feared Roaming Utsunomiya

A bear that had been repeatedly spotted in commercial and residential areas of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, was captured in a residential neighborhood at around 3:30 p.m. on June 9th after authorities used a tranquilizer gun, but the city remains on alert because police say they cannot rule out the possibility that another bear may still be roaming the area.

Self-Proclaimed 'Messenger of God' Among Seven Arrested Over Teen's Confinement

Nara Prefectural Police have arrested seven people, including a 46-year-old Yokohama man who described himself as a "messenger of God," on suspicion of unlawfully confining a teenage boy entrusted to their care by his parents, allegedly threatening him, confiscating his belongings, and forcing him to sleep naked.

Knives Found in Eye and Abdomen of Dead Man in Kobe

A man believed to be in his 50s or 60s was found dead with knives lodged in his left eye and abdomen inside a container at a company property in Kobe's Suma Ward on June 8th, prompting police to investigate the possibility of a criminal case.

Missing American Student Found Dead After Week-Long Search in Kyoto

The family of James "Weston" Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who disappeared during a family vacation in Japan, announced on June 7th that he has been found dead after a volunteer search-and-rescue team located his body in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, bringing a week-long multinational search to a tragic end.

Unlicensed Peruvian Man Conducts Risky Medical Procedure During Delivery

A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.

Video Shows Old Lady Chasing 14-Year-Old Girl After Cash Grab

A 14-year-old junior high school girl was arrested on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after allegedly spraying a woman in her 60s in the face and stealing her wallet during a robbery attempt in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture.

< 2 3 4 5 >