Japanese flamethrower Roki Sasaki records eight perfect innings following a 19-strikeout perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball

Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball phenom Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines had another brilliant pitching display one week after he pitched a perfect game, an encore of sorts. The young sensation fanned 14 batters in eight innings of duty against the opposing Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters during their Saturday encounter. This wasn't enough, however, as Chiba still lost to Hokkaido in extra innings, 1-0.

Sasaki pitched eight innings before being pulled by club skipper Tadahito Iguchi. This was reminiscent of what just happened to Los Angeles Dodgers icon Clayton Kershaw when he was pulled out of the game by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after seven perfect innings.

Sasaki had a total of 102 pitches and left the game with the score at 0-0. The Ham Fighters then proceeded to score in the top of the tenth inning to win the game.

"Japan’s 20 year-old phenom, Rōki Sasaki, has now pitched 17 straight PERFECT NPB innings! Last week: 9 IP, 19 K, 105 P, Today: 8 IP, 14 K, 102 P before [being] pulled" - @ Farm to Fame

When asked why he chose to pull his player from the mound, manager Tadahito Iguchi stated that the plan was to utilize the pitcher for the long run. The manager had a point, as Sasaki has a lanky frame and is known to have low bone density. Anything to help preserve the arm of the 20-year-old phenom should be done.

Roki Sasaki took the world by storm when he pitched a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 10. It was the first perfect game in the Nippon Professional Baseball League since 1994 when Hiromi Makihara did it for the Yomiuri Giants.

"Roki Sasaki sets the NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts! @PitchingNinja" - @ Yakyu Cosmopolitan

In this game, Sasaki set records aplenty. He set an NPB record for consecutive strikeouts with 13, tied the NPB record for strikeouts in one game with 19, and achieved a "game score" of 106. The latter stat being a measure to judge the starting pitcher's effectiveness in a single game. It was developed by sabermetrician Bill James.

Roki Sasaki's Career

Roki Sasaki just turned 20 years old (Photo courtesy of SANKEI via Japan Forward)

The young flamethrower was born on November 3, 2001, in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. This region is in the Tōhoku region and is unfortunately familiar due to the deadly earthquake that struck the area in 2011. In the event, Sasaki lost his father and grandparents, so he, his mother, and his brothers were sheltered in a nursing home during the recovery stage.

They then moved to Ofunato, and that's where his stock rose. He played for Ofunato High School and was given the moniker "Reiwa no Kaibutsu" or "The Monster of the Reiwa" due to his 101 mph fastball.

He was then scouted by MLB scouts but chose to remain in high school. Even as far back as 2019, he was already being compared to compatriot Shohei Ohtani for his arsenal of pitches.

He was then selected in the first round of the 2019 NPB Draft and was the most contested player in the round. Per NPB draft rules, all teams have a chance to select the same player. The team that draws the envelope containing the name of the contested player receives the pick. The Chiba Lotte Marines had this luck when they won the raffle.

Although used sparingly due to load management, Sasaki now has a 5-2 record with a 2.08 ERA and 110 punch outs through 19 professional games.