HOUSTON (AP) — Though Tatsuya Imai made more than 100 starts in eight seasons playing professionally in Japan, he admitted to having a case of the jitters Sunday in his major league debut for the Houston Astros.
“I went out there looking to have fun, but with that said, it’s a different environment from the time I was in Japan,” he said in Japanese through a translator. “I was kind of nervous, which may have been a bad thing, but it was just a different atmosphere for me.”
Imai allowed three hits and four runs with four walks and four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings in Houston’s 9-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
It was a disappointing debut for the three-time Japanese All-Star, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract this offseason after spending eight seasons with the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions.
Manager Joe Espada was surprised that Imai walked so many batters.
“I wasn’t expecting the scattering the zone,” Espada said. “He’s shown the ability to throw strikes. So, first one, we got that one out of the way. I’m sure that Imai can’t wait to get back on the mound.”
The Astros led by four with one out in the third when Imai walked Zach Neto before he moved to third on a single by Mike Trout. Nolan Schanuel walked to load the bases and Jorge Soler cleared them with his double to the corner in left field to get the Angels within one.
Jo Adell’s two-out RBI single tied it at 4-4 and chased Imai.
The 27-year-old Imai said he had about 10 friends and family at Daikin Park on Sunday for his debut.
“I wanted to perform better for them and get through five innings today, but as you saw, I threw up too many pitches in the first and second innings,” he said. “So, I didn’t perform up to the level that I wish to for them.”
Along with his rookie jitters, Imai said he’s still adjusting to the difference between a major league mound from the one he was used to pitching on in Japan.
“There’s a difference in the slope of the mound compared to Japan, so I’ve definitely felt that,” he said. “So I want to get on that as soon as possible and make adjustments so when the next time I go out on the mound and deal with the slope again, I can adjust to it better.”
Though Imai acknowledged being nervous on Sunday, veteran catcher Christian Vázquez said he couldn’t tell and he thinks there are things he did in his first game that he can build on moving forward.
“I think he was calm, very calm,” Vázquez said. “Sometimes in a debut ... you see in the eyes that he’s nervous or know (there’s) a lot of like emotion going on. But he looked very calm and that’s a good sign for a debut in the big leagues.”
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Houston, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai returns to the dugout after the top of the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Houston, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Houston, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox and Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians have accomplished something in the last week that had been done only twice before.
The two rookies homered in each of their first three major league games. According to Sportradar, the only other players to hit home runs in at least their first three Major League Baseball games were Trevor Story with the Colorado Rockies in 2016 and Kyle Lewis with the Seattle Mariners in 2019.
Murakami said after the White Sox's 9-7 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday that he's “truly grateful and happy” to achieve that type of milestone but added he still has plenty to work on as he begin his career.
“There's still a long way to go and lots of ways to improve, so that's what I'll keep on doing in the upcoming days,” Murakami said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi.
Story owns the MLB record with homers in his first four career games. DeLauter will try to match that when the Guardians play at Seattle later Sunday.
Murakami, 26, added his name to the club Sunday by sending a 3-2 pitch from Milwaukee's Brandon Sproat over the wall in right-center and into the White Sox bullpen in the second inning. The Japanese slugger homered off Jake Woodford in the ninth inning of his debut Thursday and went deep against Chad Patrick in the fourth inning Saturday.
“The park doesn’t seem big enough to hold him, you know what I mean?" Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "He’s impressive.”
The White Sox could use some good news. They've lost over 100 games each of the last three seasons and they were outscored a combined 20-3 in their first two games this year before blowing a 7-2 lead on Sunday.
But the emergence of Murakami at least gives them some reason for hope.
“It all translates from his work, his preparation and things like that,” White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery said. “It's one thing that I respect a lot. He comes in day in and day out and he's doing stuff. He never skips anything. He's always working on his craft. He's a hard worker. To me, I think it just makes sense why he's going out there and he's performing really well.”
Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox in December after hitting 246 homers over eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League — including a 56-homer season in 2022.
He also struck out 977 times out of 3,780 plate appearances in Japan, leading to some questions about his chances of success in the majors. Murakami has four strikeouts already — including three on Sunday — but he also has walked four times and owns a .538 on-base percentage.
White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay, who played in Japan the last two years, had no doubt that Murakami's power would translate.
“I watched him two years in Japan," Kay said. “I'm not surprised by it. I know some people are, but I've seen it, so I'm not surprised.”
DeLauter, 24, has four homers in his first three games.
The outfielder went deep twice in his MLB debut on Thursday and became the fifth player in the Guardians' 126-year history to homer in his first career regular-season at bat. He added a solo shot off Seattle's George Kirby on Friday. DeLauter struck out three times Saturday but hit a two-run blast off Andrés Muñoz in the 10th inning of a 6-5 victory.
“That shows the maturity right there,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Saturday. “He had a tough night up until that point, and obviously facing one of the best closers in the league — if not the best closer in the league — and to hit a ball oppo in Seattle at night when it's cold, that takes some kind of power.”
Cleveland had drafted DeLauter out of James Madison with the 16th pick in 2022. He made the Guardians' season-opening roster after hitting .459 with a .535 on-base percentage and three homers in 14 spring training games.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick misses a home run hit by Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami scores on a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth, left, and manager Will Venable, right, congratulate Munetaka Murakami (5) after Murakami hit a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
