InsideJapan News Network

In their first home game since the March 11th earthquake, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles delighted their fans this weekend (April 29th), with a gritty 3-1 victory over the Orix Buffaloes.

Right-handed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was the standout performer for the home team, who told Japan Times he was "more hyped than ever".

"I was waiting for this day for a long time. I knew that this would be a special game and I prepared for it well. I am glad that we could get this victory for all our fans," he added.

A sell-out crowd watched Ryo Hijirisawa score the third run of the afternoon, as the home side opened up a 3-0 lead, which was later pegged back by visiting batter Mitsutaka Goto.

The Eagles' Kleenex Stadium was partially damaged in the 9.0-magnitude quake, delaying their home opener by more than one month while repair work was being done.

Written by Mark Smith


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