Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is one of MLB's top hitters. (©KYODO)
As a leadoff hitter, getting on base is a never-ending objective. Shohei Ohtani handles this task quite well.
The Los Angeles Dodgers standout walked in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, April 8. He's now reached base in 43 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 2025. That ties him with Ichiro Suzuki for the longest streak among MLB players born in Japan.
Ichiro, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, established the record in 2009 while playing for the Seattle Mariners.
Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams set the MLB record in 1949, when he reached base 84 games in a row.
On Wednesday, in the Dodgers' 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays, Ohtani was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He also reached base in the fifth inning, when he was hit by a pitch. LA snapped a five-game win streak.
"It's thanks to getting a lot of walks," Ohtani said of his on-base streak, according to Kyodo News. "I take walks when they're offered and swing at strikes."
The Dodgers lead the National League with a 9-3 record. And after 12 games, Ohtani is hitting .267 with three home runs and eight RBIs. He's walked 10 times.
Double Duty for Shohei Ohtani
In Toronto, Ohtani handled designated hitter and pitching duties in the series finale. He held the Blue Jays to four hits and an unearned run in six innings. It was his second pitching appearance of the 2026 season.
In Ohtani's first mound appearance for the two-time reigning World Series champions, he threw six scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31, giving up just one hit and striking out six in LA's 4-1 win.
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University of Hawaii Reliever Tomii Making His Mark
Right-handed reliever Tsubasa Tomii has given the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors a big boost out of the bullpen.
A junior transfer who previously played for Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona, Tomii has made 16 appearances for Hawaii through April 4. He's 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings with 17 strikeouts. The Tokyo native has allowed 11 hits and issued six walks. He's only given up two earned runs.
Before the 2026 season began in February, Rainbow Warriors pitching coach Keith Zuniga stated his expectations for Tomii.
"He's going to be a guy who can throw two or three times a weekend," Zuniga said, according to the university's athletics department website.
The coach added, "He's a competitor with multiple pitches in the strike zone."
Heading into the weekend of April 10-12, the Rainbow Warriors are 16-13 overall, including a 6-9 record in the Big West Conference.
In August 2017, Tomii pitched a complete game in the Little League World Series championship game. The Tokyo Kitasuna Little League squad defeated the Lufkin (Texas) Little League club 12-2. Tomii allowed three hits and fanned nine.
Golf
Matsuyama Cards Even-Par 72 in 1st Round of Masters
Hideki Matsuyama finished with a 72 in the opening round of the Masters on Thursday, April 9 in Augusta, Georgia.
The 2021 Masters champion was tied for 17th at even par heading into Friday's second round. Matsuyama had two birdies and two bogeys on Thursday.
"I had some good shots and good putts, but I just couldn't seem to turn the score in my favor," Matsuyama said in a TV interview with Tokyo Broadcasting System.
He added, "I misread the wind a lot, so I feel like I could have done a little better."
Only 16 players shot under par in the first round at Augusta National Golf Club, including co-leaders Sam Burns of the United States and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, the 2025 champion. They carded 5-under 67s.
Japan's Naoyuki Kataoka had a disappointing start to his Masters debut, shooting a 12-over 84 on Thursday. He's tied for 90th. Kataoka had six bogeys and four double bogeys.
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Suga Off to an Excellent Start in JLPGA Tour Season
Fuka Suga leads the JLPGA Tour in top-10 finishes (five) in the 2026 season. Suga is also No 1 in scoring average (70.3889) through April 5.
The 2026 season began in early March with the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament in Okinawa, where Suga finished tied for sixth at 7-under 281.
In the JLPGA's second tourney of the year, the 20-year-old triumphed at the Taiwan Foxconn Ladies Golf Tournament in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on March 15.
Suga has continued to play consistent golf in recent weeks, placing second, third and fourth in the past three tournaments.
Sumo
Rising Star Atamifuji Returns to His Roots
Atamifuji participated in the Japan Sumo Association's provincial tour stop in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Thursday, April 9.
As a boy, he trained in the same city, and his return as a professional sumo wrestler was filled with nostalgia.
"Back then, I was just happy to be able to wrestle with the sumo wrestlers I saw on TV," Atamifuji recalled on Thursday, Sports Nippon reported.
Atamifuji, now 24, had a 9-6 record in the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament while competing as a komusubi, the sport's fourth-highest rank.
Looking ahead, Atamifuji is fired up about the prospects of entering May's Summer Basho Basho in Tokyo as a sekiwake. Promotion is imminent.
"The banzuke is just the banzuke — it's something that comes to you when you give it your all," he was quoted as saying by Sports Nippon, referring to a sumo tournament's official ranking chart.
Atamifuji continued: "All I can do is work hard at sumo. I hope to climb the banzuke even a little so everyone can see me."
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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