
Baseball: Teruaki Sato belts 28th homer as Tigers become 1st to 60 wins
The 26-year-old NPB home run leader put the visiting team ahead 3-2 with his three-run blast over right field in the eighth inning of the Central League contest at Vantelin Dome Nagoya.
Sato also added his NPB-best 71st RBI with the long bomb off left-handed reliever Yuki Hashimoto (2-1), who came into the game with a stingy 0.98 ERA.
"I was happy to get a great result," said Sato, who was 0-3 against Chunichi starter Yudai Ono before the at-bat. "It was a good hit."
Former New York Mets right-hander Grant Hartwig (1-0) earned his first win in Japan after relieving Hanshin starter Haruto Takahashi with a scoreless seventh inning.
The 27-year-old American loaded the bases with three straight walks before pitching out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play.
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The Mainichi
3 days ago
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Teruaki Sato belts 28th homer as Tigers become 1st to 60 wins
NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- The Hanshin Tigers became the first Nippon Professional Baseball team to reach 60 wins Tuesday after Teruaki Sato's 28th home run lifted them to a 6-2 victory over the Chunichi Dragons. The 26-year-old NPB home run leader put the visiting team ahead 3-2 with his three-run blast over right field in the eighth inning of the Central League contest at Vantelin Dome Nagoya. Sato also added his NPB-best 71st RBI with the long bomb off left-handed reliever Yuki Hashimoto (2-1), who came into the game with a stingy 0.98 ERA. "I was happy to get a great result," said Sato, who was 0-3 against Chunichi starter Yudai Ono before the at-bat. "It was a good hit." Former New York Mets right-hander Grant Hartwig (1-0) earned his first win in Japan after relieving Hanshin starter Haruto Takahashi with a scoreless seventh inning. The 27-year-old American loaded the bases with three straight walks before pitching out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play.


Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Central League votes to adopt designated hitter rule from 2027
The Central League will adopt the designated hitter rule in 2027, it announced Monday night, ending the practice of pitchers hitting and bringing the league in line with the Pacific League and most of the world after decades of resistance. The six CL clubs voted unanimously in favor of the change during a board meeting in Tokyo. The change means NPB's two leagues will operate under the same set of rules for the first time since the PL adopted the DH in 1975. Currently, the DH is only in effect during PL games and when interleague and Japan Series contests are hosted in PL parks. The CL is one of the few leagues around the world where pitchers still hit. The system was first introduced by the American League in MLB in 1973 as a way to drive up offense and attendance. The National League, similar to the CL, held out for decades — with the exception of a temporary adoption during the 2020 season as part of COVID-19 protocols — before MLB introduced a universal DH rule in 2022. Over the years, the PL and leagues in South Korea, Taiwan and many other countries adopted the DH system. The DH is also used during the World Baseball Classic, the Premier12 and other international competitions. In Japan, the collegiate Tokyo Big6 Baseball League will introduce the DH next spring, as will its counterpart in Kansai and the Japan High School Baseball Federation. 'As one of the world's leading baseball nations, along with MLB, it is important for NPB to have a flexible approach to global trends,' NPB Commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara said in a statement on Monday. Some in the CL had been calling for the league to introduce the DH for years. Former Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara has been a very vocal proponent. After his team was swept by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 2019 Japan Series, he said the DH contributed to the relative strength of the PL and had greatly aided the development of Pa League pitchers. The CL decision mostly ends what had been a heated debate between traditionalists who prefer the game without the DH and those in favor of the system. The argument against the DH often centers around strategy — the in-game chess match of double switches, pinch hitters and more that can occur late in games. The other main pillar of the argument is that playing without the DH is baseball in its purest form. Eliminating the DH also removes the drama and excitement that comes from a pitcher helping his own cause with an unexpected big hit, like the two-run double the Hiroshima Carp's Shohei Mori hit against the Hanshin Tigers last week. Those in favor of the DH say hits like Mori's are such a rarity that they should not factor into the argument. They feel that fans would rather see more competitive at-bats instead of pitchers striking out and making weak contact more often than not. The DH rule can also help extend careers, proponents say, as players can remain in the lineup regularly without the rigors of playing defense. Pitchers are also able to focus on pitching without needing to work on their batting. The 2026 season will give teams the chance to think about how they will construct their rosters ahead of the change. 'Next season's CL pennant race will be the last one where pitchers bat,' Sakakibara said. 'I hope everyone watches it from that perspective as well.' While the CL acknowledged that a portion of its fanbase may not welcome the change, officials say it helps the game move forward. 'The Central League's decision to adopt the DH system from the 2027 season and take on a new challenge in baseball is a big step forward for NPB as we look toward the future,' Sakakibara said.


Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Central League to adopt DH from 2027
For the baseball purists who like to see pitchers bat, the last holdout has succumbed to modern times. Japan pro baseball's Central League will adopt the designated hitter starting with the 2027 season, the league decided at its board meeting on Monday, a half-century after the 'position' was first introduced into Japan. The historic move shows the league's acceptance of the global trend, and will influence team strategy while also reducing the burden on players. The designated hitter, who bats in place of the pitcher in the batting lineup, was first introduced by Major League Baseball's American League in 1973. Japan's Pacific League followed suit in 1975, but the Central League resisted make the change, preferring the 'tradition of nine-man baseball' and the subtleties of player usage and other tactical decisions. However, the DH has become the mainstay in recent years, and is used at the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics. It was fully introduced in the major leagues in 2022 when the National League adopted it. Looking at the amateur game in Japan, the nation's top university league — the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League — does not currently use the DH, but has decided to introduce it next spring, meaning that all 27 college leagues under the Japan University Baseball Federation will be in alignment. The Japan High School Federation decided on Friday to adopt the DH next year. At the Central League board meeting on Monday, board members from all six clubs unanimously decided in favor of the DH. Kiyoaki Suzuki, director of the Central League board and the chief of the Hiroshima Carp team office, said at a press conference on Monday that the high school federation's decision had great impact. 'We felt we had to make the decision when the high school federation took the step,' Suzuki said. To give the teams time to adjust their rosters, the DH will start from the 2027 season. The league plans to adopt the so-called 'Ohtani rule' in which a player doubling as the starting pitcher and DH can continue as DH after being taken out from the mound. 'It is a significant step forward [for Japan pro baseball], now that the Central League has made a decision to take up the challenge of the new form of baseball,' Nippon Professional Baseball Commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara said.