Roki Sasaki looked like his old self Friday, but the Lotte Marines failed to give him the run support he needed in a 1-1, 12-inning Pacific League tie with the Nippon Ham Fighters.
With scouts from several Major League Baseball teams in attendance at Zozo Marine Stadium east of Tokyo, Sasaki struck out a season-high 12 over eight innings while allowing a run on three hits, a walk and a hit batsman.
The Marines, however, were only able to scratch out a run on five hits over five innings against starting pitcher Shoma Kanemura and left the potential winning run on third when Fighters closer Seigi Tanaka struck out veteran pinch-hitter Katsuya Kakunaka to end the ninth.
The Fighters only managed one walk and one scratch single against Sasaki through the first six innings before tying it in the seventh.
Among other games on Friday, the PL-leading SoftBank Hawks clobbered the Seibu Lions 6-2, while the defending Central League champion Hanshin Tigers fell 4-2 to the Yakult Swallows, who iced the game with a three-run home run from Munetaka Murakami.
Related coverage:
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