Hsu Jo-hsi shines in first start for Japan's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Taipei, April 1 (CNA) Taiwan's Hsu Jo-hsi (徐若熙) pitched six scoreless innings with six strikeouts on Wednesday, leading the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to a 6-1 victory in his first start in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league.

The 25-year-old righthander, who signed a three-year deal with the reigning NPB champion Hawks in December, took to the mound for the first time in an away game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Sendai.

In each of the first three innings, Hsu retired the side, facing only three batters, with help from his catcher, who twice threw out runners that had reached base.

In total, Hsu threw 86 pitches, notching six strikeouts over six scoreless innings against the Golden Eagles, while allowing only three hits and two walks.

The Fukuoka Hawks went on to win the game 6-1, improving their record to 5-0.

In a post-game interview, Hsu thanked his manager for the opportunity to start the game and his teammates for their strong defensive performance.

Hsu also singled out catcher Takashi Umino for praise, saying he had trusted his pitch calls and focused entirely on execution.

With his performance Wednesday, Hsu became the first Taiwanese pitcher to win his inaugural start in an NPB game since Kuo Chun-lin (郭俊麟) did so for the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2015.