Sun-Yi Lei's Debut: SoftBank Edges Nippon-Ham in Nail-Biter!
Rising star Sun-Yi Lei, dubbed Taiwan's Treasure, made his highly anticipated professional debut for the Nippon-Ham Fighters against the SoftBank Hawks. The game, held at the Mizuho PayPay Dome, saw Sun-Yi Lei take the mound as the starting pitcher.
Despite the hype, Sun-Yi Lei's debut was bittersweet. He pitched into the fourth inning, allowing two runs on five hits. His fastball reached a respectable 150 km/h, and he recorded three strikeouts. However, he was pulled after walking the leadoff batter in the fourth and then allowing consecutive hits to put runners on the corners with one out. Uehara replaced him, but immediately gave up a single and the lead.
Nippon-Ham manager Shinjo had expressed his confidence in Sun-Yi Lei before the game, stating that SoftBank struggles against new pitchers. He also wanted to see how Sun-Yi Lei would perform under pressure, knowing the Fighters' current standing in the league. Ultimately, the Fighters fell to a 1-0 shutout loss against the Hawks. SoftBank pitcher Tomohisa Ozeki delivered a stellar performance. The loss widened the gap between the Fighters and the league-leading Hawks to three games.
The Fighters struggled to crack Ozeki's code, managing only three hits against him. Shinjo admitted after the game that there was no easy solution and that he accepted the outcome. The Nippon-Ham lineup featured key players such as Gunji, Kiyomiya, and Manbo, but they couldn't generate enough offense to support Sun-Yi Lei.
While Sun-Yi Lei's debut wasn't the dream start he hoped for, it provided valuable experience. His performance will be closely watched as he continues to develop and contribute to the Fighters' campaign. The team hopes this will be the first of many starts for the young pitcher.
Key Moments from the Game
- Sun-Yi Lei's professional debut as starting pitcher.
- SoftBank's Tomohisa Ozeki's dominant shutout performance.
- The Fighters' inability to score against Ozeki.