JAPAN – Gary Burnham, Tadahito Iguchi and Tomoya Satozaki had two hits apiece as the Lotte Marines trounced the Rakuten Eagles 9-1 to kick off the Japanese preseason on Saturday. In other action, the Softbank Hawks blanked the Hiroshima Carp (3-0) and the Yakult Swallows downed the Rakuten Eagles, 6-3. READ MORE

Tamaki Perfect In Three innings as Hanshin Downs Orix

Yutaka Tamaki pitched three flawless innings to build a strong case in a bid to join the starting rotation as the Hanshin Tigers beat the Orix Buffaloes 4-1 in a preseason game on Sunday. READ MORE

Lotte Signs Cuban Outfielder Muniz

The Lotte Marines have signed 33-year-old Cuban outfielder Juan Muniz as a non-roster player. The Brazilian national team player will join Lotte’s farm team in an effort to make the 70-man roster. READ MORE

Oh Appointed As Japanese Baseball Ambassador

Former Softbank Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh, who currently serves as an adviser to Japanese baseball commissioner Ryozo Kato, was appointed on Thursday as a special ambassador for Japanese baseball. READ MORE

Tags: Japan