Hiroto Takahashi (21), a right-handed pitcher of the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese professional baseball team, overpowered the Samsung Lions lineup. On the 12th, he started in a practice game held at Chatan Stadium in Okinawa, and pitched 3 innings, 1 hit and no runs. He faced 11 batters, striking out four and walking one.
Born in August 2002, Takahashi is the youngest player on the Japanese national team. He is one of the iconic players of the generational change. He was selected for the national team in his third year of high school, one year younger than Roki Sasaki 바카라사이트(22, Chiba Lotte Marines), who achieved the “perfect game” last year. On the 17th, before joining the Miyazaki Camp of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, he took the mound in his first real game that day.
He was good from the start. In the top of the first inning, the first pitch thrown to Samsung lead batter Kim Sang-min reached 154 km/h. After catching the first batter on a fly ball to shortstop, he gave up a walk and was 2 out and 1 base. He then struck out hitter Kim Tae-hoon on a swing. He stole the tinning with a forkball and struck out on three pitches.
Takahashi, who blocked the top of the 2nd inning with a tripartite, sent the first batter out with an infield hit in the top of the 3rd. Following this, he caught three batters in a row with two strikeouts. He ended the third innings with 41 balls.
Chunichi coach Kazuyoshi Tatsunami (54) said, “Takahashi pitched well in his first actual game. The pitching balance was similar to last year, and I think he can go to the national team in good condition. The fast ball gave him strength.”
Takahashi threw the WBC official ball that day. Following Takahashi, 6 pitchers stepped up and blocked the Samsung lineup with no runs. Toshiya Odaka (32), Shinji Kombu (34), Yoshiki Sunada (28), Yuichiro Okano (29), Ren Kondo (25), and Hiroto Mori (25) pitched in turn and blocked one inning each.
Miya Taisei (20), a second-year high school graduate with no experience in the first team, played as a pinch hitter at the bottom of the 6th inning with 1 company and 2nd base and hit the right time. He performed impressively for two days in a row, following two hits in a substitute appearance the previous day.
In addition, Higuchi Seishu (25), a training player from an independent league, hit a timely hit with two RBIs in the 7th inning safely and loaded the bases. He came on as a substitute and hit a single in his second at-bat. He played two years for the BC League Saitama Musashi Heat Bears and joined as a foster player in November last year.
Samsung, who lost 1-18 the day before, suffered a 0-7 loss. Losing two days in a row