Matsuzaka Watch

Matsuzaka Watch: Episode 4

A chilly evening in Sendai, Japan greeted Daisuke Matsuzaka and his Seibu Lions on April 21st. A reported crowd of 5,486 lonely souls braved the miserable weather to cheer on their 2nd year expansion Rakuten Golden Eagles. I have to believe that many of those fans were either clinically insane, or like-minded fans of the crown jewel of Japanese Professional Baseball. Perhaps they were both. They saw a Seibu victory over the home team 11-1.

As usual Matsuzaka dominated the opposition, giving up 5 hits and a single run over 7 innings of work using only 96 pitches to get the job done. His fastball was clocked between 96-97 mph throughout the game helping him tally 11 strikeouts in baffling the hapless Golden Eagles. Matsuzaka got all the offense he needed in a 9 run second inning capped by outstanding and follically challenged outfielder Kazuhiro Wada's grand slam.

Seibu leads the Pacific League by 2 games with a 14-7 record, and looks to continue their surge behind good hitting and excellent pitching. For Matsuzaka's current pitching line click below:

posted by Mike Plugh @ 7:47 PM