The fielders must have been moved by throwing 111 pitches and going out again in the 9th inning to complete a complete game...It hasn't passed in May, but five starting pitchers from Nippon Ham threw nine complete games (Min Chang-ki's Japanese baseball)
May 22, 2025
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Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo praised the opposing team's starting pitcher unusually after suffering a finishing loss in the bottom of the ninth inning on the 21st. The starting pitcher, who threw '111 pitches' until the eighth inning, took the mound in the ninth inning and blocked the last inning with one hit and no run. In the top of the ninth inning, Softbank No. 5 Tanagimachi Tatsuru '121st' hit 153 kilometers per hour. Ball count 1S. A 149km/h fastball induced a ground ball to the first base to end the inning. It happened in a 1-1 tie.
Hokkaido Kitahiroshima Econ Field on the 21st. Koki Kitayama (26), a right-hander in his fourth year of joining the Nippon Ham Fighters, pitched nine innings, allowing four hits and one run. He struck out 10 with a total of 122 pitches and led the team to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory. It's the firework battle that made the team win.
'10 strikeouts' is Kitayama's most in a game. When the pitching coach asked him about his intention to throw consecutive games after the eighth inning, Kitayama replied "Of course. Kitayama gave up consecutive hits to Akira Nakamura and No. 5 Yanagimachi in the top of the second inning, then allowed one run as a sacrifice.
In a post-match hero interview, he wanted to be here. The pitching form was stable today, so I didn't feel much fatigue.' In the Orix Buffaloes game on the 5th, he gave up one run and complete defeat in eight innings, and he was responsible for the game alone.
The fielders responded to Kitayama's fighting spirit. Gunji Yuya hit a walk-off hit with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. He didn't miss the chance he made with '2 walks-1 hit'. It ended the game that was tight for 2 hours and 31 minutes.
On the previous day (20th), ito Hiromi (28), the first starter, threw five runs (four earned runs) in nine innings. He also took the mound in the ninth inning, trailing 2-3 and allowed two runs and recorded a complete defeat. He threw a total of 117 pitches. Opponent starter Livan Moinello allowed two runs in seven innings to secure the victory.
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On the 20th and 21st, Nippon Ham's Ito and Kitayama were in charge of 18 innings, and Softbank took the mound with a total of eight players. Thanks to the two starters, the Nippon Ham bullpen got enough rest. Kokubo Softbank must have been envious of this.
Japanese professional baseball, where the six-man selection system has settled. Usually, starters take the mound every week. They rest and prepare more than KBO League starters. As a result, the innings are longer than in the KBO League, and there are a lot of complete throws. Nevertheless, the Nippon Ham starters' complete pitching ability is surprising.
Five Nippon Ham starters have pitched a total of nine times this season. As Kitayama pitched a complete game on the 21st, five people reported a complete game before May passed. It is said to be the first record in 34 years for the Nippon Ham club since 1991.
Shoma Kanemura, a right-hander in his third year of joining the team. All of the '3 wins' posted in six games are complete games. Two of them are shutouts in nine innings. It's a three-game winning streak. Ito and Kitayama each recorded twice. Veteran left-hander Sakya Yamasaki (33) pitched a shutout of nine innings with 122 pitches against the Chiba Lotte Marines on May 16. 오릭
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The ability to digest innings is a basic quality of a starting pitcher. Director Tsuyoshi Shinjo especially emphasizes this. "It's better for the starter to take responsibility than for the bullpen to throw in an urgent situation." The bullpen is weak, so you may want to reduce your dependence.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
