Chihaya Sasaki said he was nervous before the first pro start of his career. It was hard to tell in the fifth inning, when nursing a one-run lead with a runner on base, the Chiba Lotte Marines rookie struck out Shohei Otani with a sinker that left the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters star flailing at air.
Sasaki got his career off to a winning start with five innings of one-run ball, Seiya Inoue drove in four runs and the Marines beat the Fighters 5-1 on a chilly, windy afternoon at Zozo Marine Stadium on Thursday.
Sasaki was the Marines' first-round selection in the 2016 draft. He overcame a shaky beginning to limit Nippon Ham to one run on three singles, though he also walked six batters. The 23-year old finished with five strikeouts.
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