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Swallows Keep Surprising

by Yuri Karasawa

Another week of the 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball season is in the books. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows continue to surprise everyone at the top of the standings, while the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters are skidding, and the Chunichi Dragons are off to a disastrous 4-15 start. Let’s take a brief look at some notable performances.

Tuesday (4/14)

Kota Tatsu’s gem
  • Kota Tatsu (Fighters) fired eight innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 win against the Marines.
  • Hiroto Kobukata (Eagles) went 2 for 4 with two stolen bases in a 3-2 win over the Hawks.
  • Takumi Ohshiro (Giants) went 3 for 4 with a home run in a 4-3 win versus the Tigers.
  • Keita Sano (BayStars) picked up his 1,000th career hit in a 5-3 loss to the Swallows.

Wednesday (4/15)

Misho Nishikawa’s big game

Thursday (4/16)

Hanshin vs. Yomiuri Highlights
  • Bobby Dalbec (Giants) crushed a three-run homer in a 4-3 win over the Tigers.
  • Ryosuke Ohtsu (Hawks) struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings versus the Eagles.

Friday (4/17)

Masayuki Kuwahara’s go-ahead shot
  • Forrest Whitley (Giants) punched out nine across seven shutout innings to earn his first NPB win.
  • Shota Morishita (Tigers) crushed his seventh long ball in a 2-1 win over the Dragons.
  • Masayuki Kuwahara (Lions) hit a go-ahead two-run homer in a 5-3 win versus the Fighters.
  • Itsuki Murabayashi (Eagles) hit a walk-off single in extras over the Marines.
  • The Buffaloes homered four times in a 13-4 blowout of the Hawks.

Saturday (4/18)

Naoyuki Uwasawa’s 134-pitch no-hit bid
  • Naoyuki Uwasawa (Hawks) lost a no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning against the Buffaloes.
  • Hideki Nagaoka (Swallows) hit a walk-off single versus the Giants.
  • Yudai Ohno (Dragons) struck out 11 batters for the first time since 2020 in a 4-3 loss to the Tigers.

Sunday (4/19)

Yomiuri vs. Yakult Highlights
  • Sosuke Genda (Lions) hit a grand slam in a 15-3 thumping of the Fighters.
  • Tomoya Mori (Buffaloes) homered for the first time this season to help beat the Hawks, 2-1.
  • Teruaki Sato (Tigers) belted his fifth home run in a 7-5 victory against the Dragons.
  • Jose Quijada (Swallows) converted his eighth consecutive save.
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