Rakuten 3, at SoftBank 2

FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — Kosei Shoji delivered another dominant performance on the mound, and the Rakuten Golden Eagles manufactured just enough offense to edge the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 3-2 in a tightly contested Pacific League matchup Tuesday night at a sold-out Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome. A crowd of 37,996 watched as the Golden Eagles, defying pregame projections that heavily favored the Hawks, scratched out single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to secure a narrow victory. The win improved Rakuten’s record to 8-6-1, while the Hawks fell to 10-5-1. The most critical juncture of the game arrived in the bottom… Read more...