Rakuten 0, at Orix 2

OSAKA, Japan (Interstat) — Shunpeita Yamashita delivered a dominant performance on the mound, striking out 11 over seven scoreless innings, and Kotaro Kurebayashi provided all the offense needed with a two-run homer as the Orix Buffaloes blanked the Rakuten Golden Eagles 2-0 on Saturday evening at Osaka Dome. A crowd of 27,850 watched as Yamashita (1-0) overpowered the Rakuten lineup, allowing just three hits and walking none in a masterful 101-pitch outing. The right-hander set the tone early, striking out the side in the third inning and retiring 10 consecutive batters at one point. The game was a tense pitchers’… Read more...