Sun Yi-lei Hits Career-Best 158 KPH in Scoreless Outing, Fighters Lose to Lions

Taiwanese fireballer Sun Yi-lei showcased his potent arm on Wednesday, throwing at a blistering 158 km/h (98.2 mph) – matching his career-high velocity – during a one-inning relief appearance for the Nippon-Ham Fighters. This outing marked his third consecutive scoreless performance on the mound.

Sun entered the game in the eighth inning with the Fighters trailing 5-2. He faced the first batter, Takayoshi Yamamura, with a barrage of fastballs clocked at least 154 km/h, inducing a line-drive out. While he reached his career-best speed against the next batter, Ryutaro Kishimoto, Kishimoto managed to hit a single to left field. Another single followed, putting runners on first and second base.

However, Sun Yi-lei quickly regained his composure to escape the jam. He retired Alexander Canario on a fly ball to center field and then induced Nao Takizawa into a line-drive out to end the threat. In his one inning of work, Sun threw 17 pitches, allowed two hits, and did not concede any runs, lowering his season ERA to 2.76.

Despite Sun's solid relief effort, the Nippon-Ham Fighters ultimately fell to the Seibu Lions with a final score of 5-2. The Lions secured their victory with a decisive five-run outburst in the top of the seventh inning, which included a three-run home run by Kaito Kojima, erasing the Fighters' earlier 2-0 lead established by solo home runs from Kotaro Kiyomiya and Tatsuki Mizuno.