Chihiro Kaneko showed up Kenta Maeda twice Friday night.
Not only did the Orix Buffaloles ace out-pitch Maeda, though not by much, he helped secure a 3-1 win over the Hiroshima Carp with a two-out RBI double off Maeda in the seventh inning. The hit was Kaneko's first since a single against the Hanshin Tigers June 9, 2012, and the first double of his career — though he pitches in the Pacific League which affords him only a handful of plate appearances each year.
"I think it was a fluke," he said during the hero interview following the game. "It was a fastball near the middle of the plate and I thought I should swing."
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