SoftBank 4, at Rakuten 2

SENDAI, Japan (Interstat) — The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks continued their flawless start to the Pacific League season, methodically grinding out a 4-2 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Tuesday night at Kleenex Stadium Miyagi. In a game defined by clutch pitching and timely hitting, the Hawks improved to a perfect 4-0, while the Golden Eagles fell to 1-3 before a crowd of 24,882. The most critical juncture of the contest arrived in the top of the eighth inning. Protecting a narrow 2-1 lead, the Hawks saw their offense threaten to break the game open. Hotaka Yamakawa walked and… Read more...