Fujinami shines in debut duel with Ohtani
Pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing infield single to Angels
>> Tuesday's Cactus League game between the A's and Angels didn't feel like a normal spring training contest.
Hoards of Japanese spectators and media members gathered on a sunny afternoon at Hohokam Stadium, anxiously awaiting a matchup that hasn't been seen in over a decade. Much of that crowd could be seen peering into the empty bullpens beyond the right-field wall almost 30 minutes before anyone even threw a warmup toss.
One glance at the pitching probables revealed why. This was no ordinary duel.
It was Shintaro Fujinami's first appearance in an A's uniform, a highlyanticipated debut against Shohei Ohtani — a clash of Japanese titans, even if it only lasted just two innings in the A's eventual 11-5 loss to the Angels.
“It didn't bother me, it was just a spring game,” Fujinami said through Japanese interpreter Issei Yamada following his start. “I know that Japanese fans were looking forward to us facing each other. I thought that we showed the Japanese fans some good entertainment.”
It was the first time Fujinami has shared the same field with his fellow 28-year-old countryman since 2014, when they both competed against major leaguers in the Japan All-Star Series. But their meeting on Tuesday was also the first time they faced each other since 2012. That's when they battled each other in the National High School Baseball Championship of Japan the summer before they were both selected in the first round of the Nippon Professional Baseball draft.
Their paths have rarely crossed since, but Tuesday's spectacle probably won't be the last time the new American League West rivals will meet this season. It was merely a preview of what's to come, something Ohtani in particular appears to be looking forward to.
“I didn't get to stand in against him so I can't really tell you how his pitches were,” said Ohtani, the twoway star who almost certainly will bat against Fujinami during the regular season, probably during the A's season-opening homestand against the Angels. “I don't really watch the opposing team's pitching in between innings, so I couldn't really tell you, but when the season starts, I'll stand in there and let you know.”
In his first inning of work, Fujinami, one of
the A's significant freeagent signings this winter, notched a pair of strikeouts, both on his heralded, low90s splitter, fooling Angels infielders David Fletcher and Jake Lamb, who both waved and missed at the pitch for strike three. Fujinami established his high-velocity fastball — which hovered around 96-98 mph for the entirety of his outing — throughout his efficient 13-pitch first inning that's lone blemish was a Luis Rengifo one-out infield single.
As Fujinami strutted off of the mound, he was greeted by supporting chants of “Fuji! Fuji!”
“I had a very good first inning and everybody was like, `Wow, good job,' ” Fujinami said. “I felt like I was playing baseball instead of Yakyu (A Japanese baseball video game). It felt like American baseball.”
Though he pitched through the first inning with relative ease and sharp command, the second inning proved to be a challenge for Fujinami, who walked three straight batters to load the bases with nobody out. He was paid a visit from pitching coach Scott Emerson, catcher Shea Langeliers and Yamada to calm his nerves.
“This guy's got big-time stuff, it's just about commanding it and being able to put it over the plate and being aggressive with it,” Emerson said.
The pep talk he received clearly worked.
In the two plate appearances following Emerson's visit, Fujinami struck out Aaron Whitefield looking and induced an inning-ending double play ball off the bat of Livian Soto to escape the jam unscathed. His final line after two innings included three strikeouts on 39 pitches.
Any anxieties the 6-foot-6 right-hander had previously were seemingly calmed at that point.
“I know there were some nerves,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “First inning went great, I think the second inning he came out and probably tried to do a little bit more and in doing that he just kind of scattered it around. But impressive for him to get through that situation and pound the strike zone and get out of it.”
Langeliers said that Fujinami showcased all of his pitches, including his slider, two-seam fastball and mid-70s curveball. The pair have started to develop early chemistry through the first two weeks of camp, which Langeliers said will lead to steady improvements during the season.