Phenom Pitcher Is Perfect For 2nd Straight Game

Clayton Kershaw, step aside. No one does perfection like 20-year-old Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki. His perfect inning streak is now at an astounding 17 consecutive innings, and, like Kershaw, he knows the feeling of having to leave a perfect game just a bit early.

Last week: Rōki Sasaki throws a perfect game with 19Ks in a 1-0 victory for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 🇯🇵

Today: Sasaki throws another 8 perfect innings with 14Ks before being taken out on 102 pitches at 0-0.

He has 17 consecutive PERFECT innings... 🔥pic.twitter.com/l1sOEDBi6U

— Baseball Brit (@BaseballBrit) April 17, 2022

Last time out, Sasaki threw an astounding 19-strikeout perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Nippon League—the first perfecto in Japan in almost 30 years. On Saturday, he came close to duplicating that feat, tossing 8 perfect innings with 14 more strikeouts before being pulled with a 102 pitch count. 

He holds the NBL record now with 52 consecutive opposing hitters not reaching base.

Overall, Sasaki through 4 starts this season:

• IP:    31
• Hits: 7
• K:   56
• ERA: 1.16

The Marines actually lost the game in the 10th inning on a solo HR by Chusei Mannami, who had this to say about Sasaki's dominance: "He is just too tough. The way that forkball drops? Forget about it."