The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' offense has faced incredible struggles in the absence of star centerfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Michihiro Ogasawara and rank toward the bottom in most of the Pacific League offensive categories.
Hokkaido Nippon Ham starter Yu Darvish, shown here in the file photo from the Sept. 19 game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, has had a team-best 15-5 record this season.
KYODO PHOTOWhich is why the performance they're getting from their pitchers this year has been such a pleasant surprise.