There was no shortage of distractions threatening to rob pitcher Yosuke Okamoto of his focus during Game 2 of the Pacific League Climax Series First Stage.
While his Seibu Lions teammates were busy putting up record numbers at the plate — 15 runs and 20 hits among other new marks set — and as the jubilation that permeated Seibu Dome grew thicker and more raucous each time another Lions player crossed home plate, Okamoto simply waited for his turn, alternating between sitting in the dugout and playing catch in front of the Seibu bench.
When he was on the mound between scoring drives — to borrow a football phrase since that's the sport the final score was more akin to — he was on top of his game, striking out five and walking just one in a six-hit shutout during the Lions' 15-0 win over the Chiba Lotte Marines on Sunday.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.