Sasaki pitches perfect game with 19 strikeouts

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:48 JST, April 10, 2022

Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines threw a perfect game on Sunday to become the first pitcher to do so in Nippon Professional Baseball in 28 years.

Sasaki also set a record by striking out 13 consecutive batters.

The 20-year-old right-hander is the 16th pitcher to throw a perfect game in NPB, following Hiromi Makihara of the Yomiuri Giants in 1994.

Sasaki broke the record for consecutive strikeouts, topping the nine achieved in 1957 and 1958. Overall, he struck out 19 Orix Buffaloes on Sunday as his team won 6-0 at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba.

Nineteen strikeouts in a game also tied the NPB record set in 1995.