Shohei Otani shows off with disappearing hit

TOKYO >> Japanese pitcher Shohei Otani added to his reputation as a powerful hitter on Sunday when he hit a fly ball that didn’t come down.

Otani’s towering fly ball in the seventh inning of an exhibition game against the Netherlands got lodged somewhere in the roof of Tokyo Dome.

As Otani rounded the bases, teammates, opposition players and umpires looked up in search of the ball that disappeared into the panels lining the ceiling of the domed stadium.

What certainly would have been a home run in an openair stadium was ruled a groundrule double.

While Otani is widely regarded as one of the best pitchers in the world, he is proving his batting abilities are just as impressive. The 6-foot-4 righthander hit 22 home runs this season for the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Japan won Sunday’s game 1210 to improve to 3-1 in the fourgame series.