Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki looks to extend perfect streak

TOKYO (AP) — Roki Sasaki is the 20-year-old Japanese pitcher with a 100 mph fastball and a devastating splitter. He will try for perfection again when he starts Sunday for the Chiba Lotte Marines against the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka. Sasaki pitched a perfect game on April 10, the first one in Japan in 28 years. He followed up with eight perfect innings on April 17 before he was pulled by manager Tadahito Iguchi after 102 pitches. This means that Sasaki has pitched a remarkable 17 consecutive perfect innings without allowing as baserunner. That’s 51 batters. If you add on the last out he got in his start before the perfect game, that’s 52.