“Monster of Reiwa” Sasaki throws 17 innings perfectly | Joongang Ilbo | JoongAng Ilbo

For the first time in the world, a perfect game for two consecutive games was about to be achieved. Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Roki Sasaki (20) recorded 17 innings in a row.

Sasaki started the game against Nippon-Ham Fighters at Chiba ZOZO Marine Stadium on the 17th, and held down all 24 batters up to the 8th inning. He has 14 strikeouts. Sasaki, who achieved the youngest perfect game (perfect game) at the age of 20 years and 5 months against Orix Buffaloes on the 10th, did not run any runners for 17 innings in two games.

Before the match, Nippon-Ham Fighter Tsuyoshi Shinjo said, “I will make all the players a safety bunt.” There was also a scene in which Alcantara, the leading batter in the 4th inning, showed the stance of a surprise bunt. I didn’t actually bunt, but Noji flew from the audience seats. The Nippon-Ham batter could not hit Sasaki’s ball with a bat.

Sasaki threw a ball over 160 kg in the 8th inning and struck out three batters in a row. However, the batting line could not be scored. 0-0 continued until the 8th inning. Chiba Lotte coach Tadahito Iguchi sent Naoya Masuda to the mound in the top of the 9th inning, replacing Sasaki.

Sasaki is a superstar who follows Shohei Otani (27, LA Angels), who is famous for his “dual wield”. Daisuke Matsuzaka (42), who was the best pitcher in the 90’s, was called “Heisei’s monster”, but Sasaki is called “Reiwa’s monster” or “Otani II”.

Throw a powerful fastball with a large physique (192 cm, 92 kg). Jacob DeGrom (New York Mets, 159km) is the only starting pitcher in the world who has a faster average fastball than Sasaki. Sasaki has a maximum ball speed of 164 km and an average ball speed of 158 km. The changing ball is rarely thrown except forkball. However, forkball comes out at the straight ball speed (140 km level) of a normal pitcher.

Sasaki is from Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. Sasaki had a hard time in 2011, when he was in the third grade of elementary school. A tsunami struck my house at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He evacuated with his mother, his brother, but lost his father and grandfather. He was very impressed to see Masahiro Tanaka, who led his home team Rakuten Eagles to victory in 2013, the third year since he started playing baseball. Sasaki had a dream of “successfully playing baseball, becoming wealthy and helping his hometown.”

Sasaki, who threw a ball over 140 kg in junior high school, was scouted by prestigious high school students from other regions. However, he enrolled in Ofunato High School, where his brother attended, to play baseball with his junior high school colleague. Ofunato High School is an ordinary school, and Sasaki couldn’t step on the dream Koshien of a Japanese baseball boy after all. However, he attracted a great deal of attention by marking 163 kilometers, which exceeds Otani’s 160 kilometers.

Sasaki wore Lotte’s uniform in the first place in the 2020 rookie draft. Chiba Lotte did not raise Sasaki to the first army in the first year. He wanted to improve his ball control and build a body that would allow him to play an active role for a long time as a professional. His debut last year, Sasaki pitched in 11 games with 3 wins and 2 losses and an earned run average of 2.27.

This season, Sasaki marked 164km in the opening match against Rakuten. And in the third pitched game against Orix, he achieved the perfect game for the first time in 28 years since Hiromi Makihara (Yomiuri Giants) in 1994. He took 19 strikeouts in Thailand, the most in Japanese baseball. He also set a new record for 13 consecutive strikeouts. On the pitch a week later, he was unfortunately replaced just before Perfect.

Sasaki is likely to play against the Korean baseball national team. This is because he is expected to participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held next spring. If both Korea and Japan pass the first round, they will be in the same group in the second round.