Fubon Guardians' Shunsuke Suzuki Throws One-Hitter for First Career Complete Game Shutout

Taipei, June 20 (CNA) — Fubon Guardians pitcher Shunsuke Suzuki delivered a stellar performance today, securing his first career complete game shutout in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Suzuki threw 101 pitches, limiting the Rakuten Monkeys to just one hit in a 2-0 victory, effectively bouncing back from a unique situation in his previous outing where he was credited with a start despite throwing zero pitches.

On June 6, Suzuki was scheduled to start but was pulled before the game due to a finger injury sustained during warm-ups. Today, he demonstrated exceptional endurance by pitching the entire nine-inning contest. Apart from a base hit by Chen Chen-wei in the first inning and a walk issued to the same batter in the seventh, Suzuki remained dominant, retiring the side effectively while recording seven strikeouts.

This victory marks the 25th time in CPBL history that a pitcher has recorded a complete game shutout with only one hit allowed. Offensively, the Guardians provided support in the fourth inning when Chang Yu-cheng drove in the opening run. In the seventh, Chang hit a double and later scored the second run of the game, capitalizing on subsequent hits and a wild pitch.