The Tigers, seeking their first Central League pennant in 16 years, trail the Tokyo Yakult Swallows by a game after Saturday's impressive win over the Dragons.
May 25, 2021
Zelous Wheeler jogged out to his position for the fifth inning as the crowd roared for him at Tokyo Dome. Wheeler had some words for Yomiuri Giants pitcher Shosei Togo as he passed the mound and clapped his hands and tipped his cap as the cheers grew louder.
It was mostly the fans in orange and black showering Wheeler with applause, but there were more than a few Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles fans who couldn’t help but smile and join in.
Wheeler faced his former team for the first time on Tuesday night and welcomed his old friends into his new home with a come-from-behind three-run home run against Takayuki Kishi in the fourth inning that propelled the Giants to a 9-4 win in their interleague opener on Tuesday night at the Big Egg.