Nippon-Ham 1, at Rakuten 0

SENDAI, Japan (Interstat) — In a pitching duel that defied both logic and the evening drizzle at Kleenex Stadium Miyagi, a single swing from Rodolfo Castro decided a contest dominated by arms. Koki Kitayama of the Nippon-Ham Fighters outdueled Rakuten’s Tatsuki Koja in a masterful performance, leading the visitors to a 1-0 victory over the Golden Eagles on Wednesday night in a game that lasted only five innings due to rain. The result avenged a 3-0 shutout loss for the Fighters on this same field just 24 hours prior and pushed Nippon-Ham’s season record to 6-5, nudging them above .500.… Read more...