The Rakuten Monkeys yesterday allowed just one hit to the Yomiuri Giants in their 0-0 draw to end the Japanese team’s final exhibition game at the Taipei Dome.
The game, the Dome’s first draw since it opened officially late last year, was one of two exhibition games in Taiwan to celebrate the Japanese franchise’s 90th anniversary.
The Monkeys’ starting pitcher Pedro Fernandez held the Giants without a hit for three innings, and struck out five players, while the Giants’ Tomoyuki Sugano allowed just four hits and struck out four.
Photo: CNA
In the first game on Saturday, the CTBC Brothers were not so lucky, losing 4-1.
More than 37,000 fans packed the stadium to watch Japan’s oldest professional sports team, who have won the most titles in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
The teams on Saturday used two types of balls — one approved by NPB and another by the CPBL — as both were using the game to prepare for their upcoming seasons.
Photo: CNA
The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, and recorded 13 hits and four runs through the game.
Aside from their single run scored in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Brothers struggled offensively throughout, largely due to the dominance of the Giants’ starting pitcher, Shosei Togo.
The 23-year-old struck out six batters over three innings, including the Brothers’ first three batters. His strong performance earned him Most Valuable Player (MVP) for pitching after the game.
Photo: CNA
“I was very nervous because I had to play in front of a sellout crowd in my first game in Taiwan, but I used that to my advantage and tried to put on a great show,” said Togo, the 2022 NPB Central League strikeout leader.
He said he knew he would start in the Giants’ first game in Taiwan, so he prepared, although he did not disclose the details.
He did not find many differences between the Taipei Dome and his home stadium of the Tokyo Dome, he said, adding that he saw many fans at both venues.
Meanwhile, the batting MVP of the game was Yuto Akihiro, who racked up three hits and three RBIs in his first game in Taiwan.
The 21-year-old, who rarely plays overseas, said “I love Taiwan” in Mandarin in response to all four questions he was asked at a post-game interview, sparking loud cheers from the crowd.
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