Ren Mukunoki
{{Short description|Japanese baseball player}}
{{Infobox NPB player
|name=Ren Mukunoki
|team=Orix Buffaloes
|image=File:Mukunoki Ren Orix Buffaloes 20220521.jpg
|image_size=250px
|number=15
|position=Pitcher
|birth_date={{birth date and age|2000|1|22}}
|birth_place=San'yō-Onoda, Yamaguchi, Japan
|throws=Right
|debutteam=Orix Buffaloes
|debutleague=NPB
|debutyear=July 7, 2022
|statyear=July 7,2022
|bats=Right
|debut2team=
|stat1label=Win-loss record
|stat1value=2-0
|stat2value=0.00
|stat2label=ERA
|stat3value=18
|stat3label=Strikeouts
|teams=
- Orix Buffaloes ({{npby|2022}}–present)
}}
Ren Mukunoki (椋木 蓮, Mukunoki Ren, born January 22, 2000) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Professional career
Mukunoki debuted for the Buffaloes on July 7, 2022, against the Saitama Seibu Lions, where he allowed 2 hits, threw 7 strikeouts, and did not allow a run.{{Cite web |title=オリックスのドラ1椋木がプロ初先発初勝利「後半はいつも通り投げられた」 ｜ BASEBALL KING |url=https://baseballking.jp/ns/330349 |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=BASEBALL KING |language=ja}} In just his 2nd game against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, he was throwing a no hitter, when in the bottom of the 9th, with only 1 out to go, gave up his no-hitter on a single by Fighters infielder Ryusei Sato.{{Cite news |date=2022-07-20 |title=Baseball: Buffaloes' rookie Ren Mukunoki falls 1 strike short of no-hitter |language=en |work=Mainichi Daily News |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220720/p2g/00m/0sp/054000c |access-date=2022-07-21}} Buffaloes closer Yoshihisa Hirano took over from there and struck out Kensuke Kondo to earn his 24th save.