Chiba Lotte Marines phenom Roki Sasaki struck out 19 batters Sunday while firing the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball since 1994.
The 20-year-old right-hander tied the Japanese baseball league’s all-time record for strikeouts in a game and also set a record with 13 consecutive strikeouts.
“This is the greatest. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about the possibility (of a perfect game). I figured it would be OK if I gave up a hit, so I just pitched and put my trust in (catcher Ko) Matsukawa right until the end
Roki Sasaki on throwing perfect game, via ESPN
Sasaki is competing in just his second NPB season and was appearing in just his 14th game.
Related: MLB power rankings 2022 – Houston Astros, New York Yankees battle for No.1 spot
–Field Level Media