Hawks' Shota Sakurai shines with season-best 7-inning, 4K outing for 6th win

Japanese pitcher Shota Sakurai delivered his best performance of the season for the TSG Hawks' minor league team on May 29, 2026. Facing the Uni-President Lions, Sakurai pitched seven innings, giving up just one run and striking out four batters to secure his sixth win and temporarily lead the league in victories.

During his seven-inning stint, Sakurai allowed batters to reach base in most innings and faced multiple critical situations with runners in scoring position. However, he consistently managed to escape danger, ultimately allowing only one earned run before exiting the game after a quality start.

Sakurai threw 93 pitches over his seven innings, allowing eight hits, one run, and one walk, with one hit batsman. His season ERA now stands at 3.94, with a WHIP of 1.60.

The TSG Hawks' minor league team won the game 7-2. The team's offense collected a total of 10 hits, with Huang Ping-Yang, Yen Yu-Hsuan, Yen Tsai-Cheng, and Chen Fei-Lin each recording two hits.