Veteran Maeda wins 99th, nears NPB century mark

Veteran pitcher Kenta Maeda delivered a masterful performance on Friday, pitching 8.2 innings and allowing only one run to lead the Rakuten Golden Eagles to a 4-1 victory over the Nippon-Ham Fighters. At 38 years old, Maeda is now just one win away from achieving the significant milestone of 100 career victories in Japan.

Maeda's outing was his longest since returning to Nippon Professional Baseball last year. He had been on track for a complete game shutout, a feat he hasn't accomplished in 12 years, having last achieved it in August 2014. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and had allowed only two hits through eight scoreless frames. However, two consecutive hits in the ninth inning allowed the Fighters to score a run, ending Maeda's bid for a shutout.

Despite the near-miss, Maeda expressed his frustration after the game. "I'm so disappointed! I'm sorry everyone, for not being able to throw a shutout," he said during the post-game hero interview. "It would have been best if I hadn't allowed a single run, but the team won, so I'll accept it."

The Golden Eagles brought in closer Shohira Fujihira to secure the final out, which he did by striking out designated hitter Franmil Reyes. Fujihira earned his 14th save of the season. Maeda, who signed a two-year, 400 million yen contract with the Eagles last offseason after a nine-year stint in Major League Baseball, now holds a 2-3 record with a 2.97 ERA this season.

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I'm so disappointed! I'm sorry everyone, for not being able to throw a shutout. It would have been best if I hadn't allowed a single run, but the team won, so I'll accept it.