It is extremely difficult to follow a perfect game with a performance just as good, but Roki Sasaki almost did exactly that. After throwing a perfect game in the NPB last week, the 20-year-old Japanese phenom threw eight more perfect innings before being taken out of the game.
Sasaki’s day was done after throwing 102 pitches when the game was tied 0-0 in the eighth inning. The right-hander added 14 strikeouts to go along with his record-breaking 19 punch outs from last week.
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters ultimately scored on a solo home run in the 10th inning to beat Sasaki’s Chiba Lotte Marines.