JAPAN – Tuffy Rhodes went deep three times to become the first foreign player in the history of the Nippon Professional Baseball to reach 450 career homers Sunday, and the Orix Buffaloes trounced the Nippon Ham Fighters 11-3 at Skymark
Stadium.

Rhodes became only the 12th player in Japanese baseball to reach 450 career home runs when he launched a solo drive in the fourth. The American slugger – who matched Sadaharu Oh’s single-season record of 55 homers in 2001 – added a three-run bomb in the fifth and a two-run shot in the eighth.

Mamoru Kishida (3-0), who fanned 10, scattered three runs over seven innings to earn the win while Ryo Sakakibara (0-1) was tabbed with the loss.

RAKUTEN BLANKS SOFTBANK
Former New York Yankee pitcher Darrell Rasner tossed six shutout innings to help the Rakuten Eagles dispose of the Softbank Hawks 4-0 at the Yahoo Dome. Takeshi Yamasaki cracked a two-run shot in the second to move the Eagles into a share of first with Nippon Ham.

LOTTE TAMES SEIBU
Saburo Omura collected three RBIs and the Lotte Marines erupted for five late runs to get past the Seibu Lions 11-5. Yuta Omine (1-0) scattered a pair of scores over seven innings to pick up his first win of the season.

CHUNICHI STOPS YOMIURI
Yomiuri tagged Seth Greisinger for three first-inning runs and southpaw Yudai Kawai tossed five scoreless innings to lift the Chunichi Dragons past the Giants 8-0 at the Tokyo Dome. Kawai (1-0) allowed four hits and fanned three en route to the win, while Greisinger (3-2) was dealt the loss.

HIROSHIMA EDGES HANSHIN
Junpei Shinoda pitched one-run ball fo seven innings and pinch-hitter Go Kida erased a 1-0 deficit with a two-run single in the seventh to help the Hiroshima Toyo Carp nip the Hanshin Tigers 2-1 at Mazda Stadium. Shinoda (2-1) registered the win and Katsuhiro Nagakawa recorded his seventh save.

YOKOHAMA CLIPS YAKULT
Ryan Glynn won his first game in a Yokohama uniform and Dan Johnson hit a two-run bomb to lead the BayStars to a 6-2 victory over the Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium. Glynn (1-3) picked up the win despite giving up six hits and five free passes in a not-too sharp outing.

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Tags: Japan