[Nippon-Ham] Koki Kitayama throws his second no-walk, no Hit by Pitch shutout game of the season, extending his winning streak to six games and earning his seventh win overall. Manager Shinjo Tsuyoshi commented, "With that style, he could throw around 230 pitches."

Sports Hochi
Koki Kitayama (right) and Yuya Shindo strike a tea-making pose after achieving shutout game win (Photo by Shohei Uemura)

◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 4-0 Lotte (23rd, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham pitcher Koki Kitayama threw 105 pitches over nine innings, allowing only three hit strike out or Hit by Pitch, earning his second shutout game of the season. This was his sixth consecutive win and his seventh win of the season.

It was a stable pitching performance with no real tense situations. Manager Shinjo also praised him, saying, "He didn't seem to be straining at all. With that style, he could probably throw around 230 pitches (laughs). It's hard for the batters to hit him."

Responding to the manager's words, Kitayama said, "That effortless form is the starting point I'm aiming for. I think I mentioned beforehand that I was able to make good adjustments this week, and I'm glad that it was 100% reflected in the result and that I was able to shutout game."

Article provided by:Sports Hochi (opens in a new window)

Featured
Featured
Pacific League News

[Nippon-Ham] Koki Kitayama throws his second no-walk, no Hit by Pitch shutout game of the season, extending his winning streak to six games and earning his seventh win overall. Manager Shinjo Tsuyoshi commented, "With that style, he could throw around 230 pitches."