HAWKS PITCHER NAMED JAPAN’S INTERLEAGUE MVP

Softbank Hawks left-handed pitcher Toshiya Sugiuchi was named the Most Valuable Player in interleague play for Nippon Professional Baseball last week. Sugiuchi went 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in six starts as the Hawks finished with the best interleague record in Japan for the second year in a row. For his work, Sugiuchi won 2 million yen in prize money. He said, “I wondered if I’m the right person to earn it. I didn’t expect to be selected because I won just three games.”


Two 1 million yen runner-up prizes were given to Chunichi Dragons first baseman Tony Blanco and Nippon Ham Fighters right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish. Blanco led all 12 NPB teams with 11 homers and 40 RBIs over 24 games while batting .299 for Chunichi, while Darvish was 4-1 with a 1.15 ERA and 40 strikeouts in five starts for the Fighters.

In Japanese baseball’s two pennant races, Yomiuri leads the Central League with a 37-19-6 record, two games ahead of the 36-22 Yakult Swallows. In the Pacific League, Softbank and Nippon Ham are in a virtual tie for first place. The Hawks are 35-25-2, while the Fighters are 35-25-1.