It took Yokohama BayStars pitcher Shoichi Ino five starts before he won his first game in 2013. The rookie then bounced in and out of the rotation, and it wasn't until September that the right-hander took a game into at least the seventh inning for the first time. He posted only five wins and had to win three of his last four starts just to get there.
What a difference a new year makes.
Ino already has seven wins this season, tying him with Yomiuri Giants pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano and the Hiroshima Carp's Brian Bullington for the most in the Central League. He's both pitching better and putting up better results for Yokohama.
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