Liván Moinelo (10-2, 1.19 ERA) resumed his relentless dominance in the NPB after eleven days of rest. In a thrilling pitching duel, the Cuban outlasted star right-hander Hiromi Itoh (11-6, 2.66 ERA), the leader in strikeouts (138) and complete games (5), in the presence of his mother, who was watching him pitch in Japan for the first time.
Moinelo led the SoftBank Hawks (62-36-4) to a 1-0 victory over the Nippon Ham Fighters (60-40-2) with a 125-pitch shutout at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome, his second of the season the southpaw allowed three hits and only issued a walk in what could be his best outing in the circuit as a starting pitcher.
With 13 SOs and an impressive 28 swings and misses against, the Pinar del Río native cemented himself as the league leader in ERA (1.19) and WHIP (0.86). He also ranks second in strikeouts (134) and wins (10), while also sharing the lead in quality starts (15 QS). Without a doubt, Moinelo is best left-handed pitcher in today’s NPB.
In the KBO Guillermo Heredia swatted his seventh longball of the season, a sixth inning three-run shot to help pace the SSG Landers to a 10-1 thrashing of the Lotte Giants. The outfielder now hits a solid .317 to along with 29 runs batted in on the campaign. Heredia has been a key piece to the offense since his return to the team from the injured list.
Cuban action on the day:
Liván Moinelo (SH): 9.0IP,3H,0ER,13K,BB (1.19)
Ariel Martínez (NH): 4-0 (.200)
KBO:
Guillermo Heredia (SSG): 4-2,HR,3RBI,R (.317)
Rubén Cárdenas (KH): 4-0 (.240)
CPBL:
No Cuban action on the day.