4/10/2022 12:27:04 PM EST
Chiba Lotte Marines phenom Roki Sasaki struck out 19 batters Sunday while firing the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball since 1994.The 20-year-old right-hander tied the Japanese baseball league's all-time record for strikeouts in a game and also set a record with 13 consecutive strikeouts."This is the greatest," Sasaki said, per ESPN. "Honestly, I wasn't thinking about the possibility (of a perfect game). I figured it would be OK if I gave up a hit, so I just pitched and put my trust in (catcher Ko) Matsukawa right until the end."Sasaki is competing in just his second NPB season and was appearing in just his 14th game.--Field Level Media