Baseball updates: Shoji leads strikeouts, Crow-Armstrong nears 40-40, and Ohtani faces slump

In professional baseball, several notable performances and struggles have emerged across the NPB and MLB. In Japan's Pacific League, Rakuten Eagles pitcher Kosei Shoji recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts during an eight-inning outing, bringing his season total to 141 and placing him at the top of the league in strikeouts.

In the NPB Central League, Hiroshima Carp secured a 5-2 comeback victory against the Chunichi Dragons, avoiding a drop to last place. Pitcher Ryoji Kuribayashi earned his sixth win, pitching seven innings with 10 strikeouts despite an early two-run deficit.

In Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 39th home run of the season, moving closer to a ‘40-40’ season (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases). Meanwhile, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is facing a hitting slump, recording zero RBIs over his last 12 games despite maintaining his base-stealing activity. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Ohtani’s swing has not looked like his usual self, raising concerns ahead of the playoffs.