Orix rookie Daiki Tajima impressed in his pro debut as he pitched the Buffaloes to an 8-4 win over the reigning Pacific League champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Saturday.
Before 39,530 at Yafuoku Dome, the Buffaloes' top draft pick last autumn shook off the jitters to go five innings, allowing a run on one hit and three walks. The 21-year-old right-hander struck out four.
After Tajima surrendered a first-inning homer to Keizo Kawashima, the rookie began throwing his breaking balls for strikes and located his fastball to keep the Hawks' powerful lineup in check.