We talked about his first complete game, and he threw a complete game.
Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto (24). Threw his first complete game of the season against the Seibu Lions. On Aug. 8, he started a home game against Seibu at Hottomoto Field in Kobe and pitched nine innings of five-hit, one-run ball. He faced 32 batters and threw 125 pitches, striking out 13. It was his most innings pitched in a single game this season, his most strikeouts, and his first complete game in 12 games. The performance was significant because it was his first start in his second home Kobe game outside of the Osaka Dome.
He said in a media interview the day before the game that he wanted to throw a complete game.
The only run came in the top of the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead. Two batters later, he gave up a double to Sosuke Genda in left field and an RBI single to Shohei Suzuki in the third. In total, he retired six batters in the eighth inning, all on swinging strikes.
After a bit of a slow start to the season, Nippon Professional Baseball’s best pitcher has been on a roll for over two months.
From April 22 against the Chiba Lotte Marines to April 8 against Seibu, he won seven of nine games (one loss). In all 12 of his starts this year, he has gone at least six innings. Five of them have gone eight innings or more.
He has 11 quality starts (6+ innings, 3 earned runs or less) and 7 quality starts plus (7+ innings, 3 earned runs or less).
In 2021-2022, Yamamoto was the best pitcher in baseball with no peer group. Led the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and winning percentage for the second straight year. He won the Pacific League MVP for the second straight year and the Sawamura Award for the second straight year.
This year, he’s still going strong, but in a different way. With the Chiba Lotte Marines’ “monster pitcher” Roki Sasaki in his first full-time season, it’s harder for him to dominate. It’s a two-man race for the top spot.
Sasaki leads the league in strikeouts with a fastball that reaches 160 kilometers per hour. With 72 innings pitched and 107 strikeouts in 11 games, he leads Yamamoto, who has 85⅓ innings pitched and 94 strikeouts in 12 games. Yamamoto leads Sasaki in innings pitched and stamina. Sasaki, who is in his fourth year of high school, has been under club control this year. He returned to action in mid-May after taking more than three weeks off.온라인바카
Sasaki threw 129⅓ innings last year, Yamamoto 193. .
In terms of ERA, Sasaki and Yamamoto are 1-2. Sasaki is at 1.50 and Yamamoto is at 1.79.
With his 8-3 win over Seibu on Aug. 8, Yamamoto took sole possession of first place in the Pacific League in wins. Sasaki is tied for third with six wins (two losses). In terms of winning percentage, Sasaki is first (7.05%) and Yamamoto is second (7.02%).
Together, they represented Japan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and contributed to the team’s victory as the main pitchers. The WBC has proven their international competitiveness and has attracted the attention of major league clubs. They pitched every game in front of major league scouts.
Yamamoto, who is in his seventh year as a professional, plans to move up to the major leagues after the season through the posting system.