Weekly Japanese Baseball News-1st-
This article will introduce three themes regarding professional and high school baseball in Japan.
Hanshin continues to struggle from the start of the season
Hanshin took a lead of up to seven runs in the opening game against Yakult, and starter
Shintaro Fujinami pitched well, giving up three runs in seven innings. However, the relievers gave 7runs in the 8th inning and 9th inning. And the team suffered a comeback loss. After this game, Hanshin set a league record with nine consecutive defeats in the season opener. Then, on April 5, against Yokohama, Hanshin took the lead with a HR by Teruaki Sato, the team’s slugger. And starting pitcher Yuki Nishi shut out the game for the team’s first win of the season. However, the next day, the team again struggled and suffered back-to-back losses to Yokohama. As a result, the team has been shuffling players. While Kyle Keller was sent down after two blown saves in two games, Koyo Aoyagi, who won the most in the league last year, was promoted. Also, on the batting line, Shun Takayama, the rookie of the year in 2016, has been promoted.
Roki Sasaki, the monster of the Reiwa, continues to pitch well.
21-year-old Roki Sasaki (Marines), now in his third year as a professional pitcher, has pitched well since the start of the season. He allowed three runs in six innings against Rakuten on March 27, striking out 10. On April 3 against Seibu, Sasaki allowed one run in eight innings with 13 strikeouts. Especially against Seibu, he threw 70 fastballs and averaged 99.1 mph (159.5 km/h). In addition to his fastball, Sasaki is also highly regarded for his fork and slider.
Osaka Toin won the Spring Koshien Tournament.
The Spring Koshien, the Japanese high school baseball, ended with the win of Osaka Toin high school. Osaka Toin recorded 11 HRs in the tournament, setting a new record for the most HRs in a single tournament by a single team. The first game against Naruto was close, 3–1, but the team’s lineup exploded in the quarterfinals, 17–0, and semifinals, 13–4. And in the finals, they dominated Omi High School 18–1 to win the championship. This year’s Osaka Toin team has a strong hitting regular catcher, Shion Matsuo, and outfielder Yudai Ebine, who is highly rated.
Photo BY BOLTandK2
