On April 10, Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Roki Sasaki fired the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball in 28 years. He struck out 19 batters, tying the NPB single-game record. And he set the NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts.
https://twitter.com/baseballcosmo/status/1513058569729413126
https://twitter.com/baseballcosmo/status/1513056568224321539
Fast-forward to Sunday, when Sasaki made his next outing. And it went much like the last.
Sasaki threw eight perfect innings over 102 pitches and struck out 14 batters. And with those eight perfect innings, he’s now retired 52 batters over his last three games. That’s a record for NPB, and would be the record in MLB (Yusmeiro Petit holds the MLB record at 46 consecutive batters retired).
Roki Sasaki has retired 52 consecutive batters across 3 games, which I believe is a professional record. Definitely breaks the MLB/NPB records, not sure about other professional leagues around the world.
— Kyle Kishimoto (@kylemoto10) April 17, 2022
He touched 102 mph and was clocked at 101 mph on his last pitch for the 14th strikeout. He also showed off his devastating splitter (89-91 mph) throughout the game, and that’s particularly unfair when hitters are gearing up for the 100-plus mph fastball.
Roki Sasaki is being pulled after 8 perfect innings. Naoya Masuda is coming in, he posted a 2.24 ERA in 64 innings last season. Sasaki has retired 52 straight batters and counting, we'll see how far that streak continues next week. Here's Sasaki's last strikeout from the day. pic.twitter.com/hFmXnRa8h4
— Kyle Kishimoto (@kylemoto10) April 17, 2022
18 up, 18 down for Roki Sasaki. This strikeout comes on a 101 mph fastball, the previous pitch was at 102. He also threw a 91 mph splitter in the same AB. pic.twitter.com/cNqCXNg31Y
— Kyle Kishimoto (@kylemoto10) April 17, 2022
Followed up by a splitter at 91, pretty easy to see why no one can touch him. pic.twitter.com/vq9xAoQWlZ
— Kyle Kishimoto (@kylemoto10) April 17, 2022
Sasaki was pulled at 102 pitches, and that’s a move that is extremely understandable when you consider that he’s 20 YEARS OLD. There’s no reason to push it much more than that for a 20-year-old pitcher who’s throwing 100 mph over and over.
Sasaki was averaging 100 mph in the 7th inning. He's 20 years old, by the way. https://t.co/dFCSDktlq7
— Kyle Kishimoto (@kylemoto10) April 17, 2022
Sasaki's day is done. he will finish the outing after 8 perfect innings. It may disappoint some of you, but – with him being 20 years old, and have a lot of future to look forward to, it is a prudent decision by the manager Tadahito Iguchi.
— Sung Min Kim ⚾️ (@sungmin_kim_) April 17, 2022
On the season, Sasaki has struck out 56 batters and walked just two.
anyways, after 31 IP, Sasaki has 56 K's and… only 2 BB
— Sung Min Kim ⚾️ (@sungmin_kim_) April 17, 2022
And again, after there wasn’t an NPB perfect game in 28 years, he threw one and followed that up with eight perfect innings in the next game (and with his streak of 52 batters retired still going). The factoids are as mind-blowing as his stuff.
Will we see Sasaki pitch in MLB (like former NPB star — and 2021 AL MVP — Shohei Ohtani has)? If so, that’s likely years away.
For now, we can follow along as Sasaki puts together historic performances and numbers in Japan. And for more Sasaski coverage, definitely give Kyle Kishimoto and Sung Min Kim a follow on Twitter.
[Photo Credit: NPB; Pacific League TV]
