Liván Moinelo earned his second win of the season in NPB with another outstanding start. During the SoftBank Hawks’ 7-1 victory over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Moinelo tossed six innings, allowing just two hits and one run on a solo home run by Franmil Reyes. He issued one walk and struck out seven. The Cuban southpaw threw 98 pitches and generated an impressive 19 whiffs.
The Pinar del Río native has won both of his starts since returning to Japan’s top level, delivering a pair of quality starts. Over 12.0 innings, he has allowed only six hits and one run, posting a 0.75 ERA with 12 strikeouts. After missing more than half the season with shoulder problems the Cuban southpaw has returned to his form.
After his last outing in the minors for the Hawks the Pinar del Río native earned the win in SoftBank’s 6-3 victory over Orix in the minor leagues. He pitched six innings, allowing four hits and one run while issuing two walks and striking out six batters. His maximum velocity was 151 km/h (approximately 93.83 mph).
After the game, his manager Hiroki Kokubo confirmed that Moinelo is ready to return: “He will pitch for the first team in his next outing. However, I will keep the date a secret. Moinelo is a positive factor for the second half. If he can contribute to victories, we will be closer to winning the championship.”