Trevor Bauer (32) of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars battled back in the final game of the first half but took the loss.
Bauer took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work against the Hiroshima Toyokapp at Yokohama Stadium in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday.
Bauer, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2020, was a recognized ace in the majors. But in 2021, sexual assault allegations plagued him and he was effectively released from Major League Baseball. Bauer, who signed with Yokohama this year to start his career in Nippon Professional Baseball, finished the first half of the season with a 6-3 record and a 3.46 ERA in 12 games (80⅔ innings).
Bauer threw 111 pitches on the day and lasted until the seventh inning. He battled back, but was unable to get any run support, and a combination of fielding errors made it a tough outing. Yokohama ended up losing 1-2.
“Bauer fought hard, throwing a fastball that reached a maximum speed of 156 kilometers per hour, but the offense could only muster one run, handing him his third loss of the season,” the Japanese media outlet Junichi Shimbun reported. 안전놀이터
“The frustration was building,” Bauer said. My fastball, curveball, and splitter were all good, but I gave up runs. If I had gotten a strikeout at a crucial moment, I wouldn’t have given up the run,” he said.
“I’m getting to know my batters with each pitch, and I’m feeling better. I think the second half will be better,” Bauer said.
The Chunichi Shimbun wrote, “Bauer had the most frustrated look on his face since Japan. However, he did not blame the batsmen’s misses and fielding mistakes.”
Yokohama finished the first half of the season with three straight losses, including a series sweep in a home three-game series against Hiroshima. Manager Daisuke Miura lamented, “We were exploited through gaps.” Yokohama slipped to third place in the Central League with 43 wins, two draws and 38 losses.