ESPN.com · Apr 10, 2022
Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, 20, throws 19-strikeout perfect game in record-setting performance
Pitching phenom Roki Sasaki had 19 strikeouts while throwing a perfect game in a record-setting performance Sunday in Japan's top professional league.
The 20-year-old Sasaki recorded the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball since 1994 and the 16th in league history, according to multiple Japanese media outlets.
Sasaki, a right-hander for the Chiba Lotte Marines, tied a NPB record with his 19 strikeouts against the Orix Buffaloes. He also struck out 13 consecutive batters at one point, a record in Japanese pro baseball, according to Kyodo News.