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NPB Opening Weekend Recap

by Yuri Karasawa
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Ryoji Kuribayashi embraces Shogo Sakakura after pitching a 1-hit shutout (Photo: NTV News)

Nippon Professional Baseball is back. From home run fests to rookie debuts to rivalry games to a near-perfect game and much more, here’s a recap from the opening weekend of action in Japan.

Opening Series Overview

SoftBank Hawks 3 – 0Nipponham Fighters
Lotte Marines2 – 1Seibu Lions
Orix Buffaloes2 – 1Rakuten Eagles
Hanshin Tigers2 – 1Yomiuri Giants
Hiroshima Carp3 – 0Chunichi Dragons
Yakult Swallows 3 – 0 DeNA BayStars

Friday (3/27)

SoftBank vs. Nipponham Highlights
  • Trey Cabbage (Giants) hit the first home run of the 2026 season in a 3-1 win versus the Tigers.
  • Bobby Dalbec (Giants) hit his first NPB homer.
  • Kazuyuki Takemaru (Giants) became the first rookie in franchise history to start on opening day since 1962. He threw six innings of one-run ball to record the win.
  • Kaito Mouri (Marines) became the first rookie in franchise history to start on opening day since 1950. He threw five scoreless innings to register the win.
  • Kosei Shoji (Eagles) threw eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts in a 10-0 win over the Buffaloes.
  • Shugo Maki (BayStars) hit a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game in a 3-2 loss to the Swallows.
  • Naru Katsuda (Carp) delivered a walk-off single against the Dragons for the first hit of his NPB career.
  • The Hawks edged out the Fighters, 6-5, as the teams combined to hit six home runs.

Saturday (3/28)

Hanshin vs. Yomiuri Highlights
  • Haruto Takahashi (Tigers) hurled his first complete game shutout since 2021 in a 2-0 victory versus the Giants.
  • Allen Kuri (Buffaloes) struck out a career-high 12 batters in a 132-pitch complete game shutout against the Eagles.
  • Hotaka Yamakawa (Hawks) homered in consecutive days en route to a 6-4 win over the Fighters.
  • Freddy Tarnok (Carp) fired seven shutout innings in his NPB debut.
  • Yorinosuke Sakurai (Dragons) tossed seven innings with nine strikeouts and no earned runs in his debut.
  • Misho Nishikawa and Kyota Fujiwara (Marines) combined for six RBI in an 11-0 thrashing of the Lions.

Sunday (3/29)

Lotte vs. Seibu Highlights
  • Ryoji Kuribayashi (Carp) took a perfect game into the eighth inning and threw a complete game one-hit shutout in his first start of his career since converting from a closer.
  • Kaima Taira (Lions) tossed a complete game shutout against the Marines.
  • Shota Morishita (Tigers) hit his first homer of the season in a 12-6 win over the Giants. 
  • Chusei Mannami and Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters) each hit their second home runs of the season in an 8-4 loss to the Hawks.
  • Carter Stewart Jr. (Hawks) made his first start since 2024 and secured the win.
  • Yoshihisa Hirano (Buffaloes) registered his 1,000th career NPB strikeout.
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