March 23, 2024 6:01
◇22nd◇Kyocera Dome Osaka
It was a match that reminded me of the excitement of last year’s last game. Just like Game 7 of the Japan Series, in which Hanshin clinched the title in Japan for the first time in 38 years, Orix won the game with zero shutouts in a game in which Hanshin’s Akihiro Aoyagi and Orix’s Daiya Miyagi were the starters.
Orix vs. Hanshin: Director Okada (left) and others withdraw after losing to Orix (Photo by Ya Kato)
Hanshin, who has won two games so far, has now gone scoreless for two games in a row. It’s not like they’re still suffering from the fatigue of scoring 10 points and winning against Softbank on the 19th, which was a rough game, but it’s a concern that their main players aren’t at their best.
On this day, Yusuke Oyama and Shota Morishita were absent due to concerns. It goes without saying that injuries are scary, but with less than a week left until the start of the season, anxiety is growing.
Meanwhile, the Hanshin batting line-up, led by Koji Chikamoto, Seiya Kinami, and Teruaki Sato, made a good showing. He recorded nine hits. This was more than Orix’s six, but even though Ryoma Nishikawa had a home run, I feel like the 0-3 result was a waste.
why. There are probably many reasons for this, but I think one of them is “walking.” Last year, he appeared in various places, so even if you are not a member of the Tiger Party, you probably know about him, but what is noteworthy about Hanshin is that he increased the evaluation points for walks.
Orix vs. Hanshin In the top of the 6th inning, Hanshin with no outs, Teru Sato hits a hit to the right field. The pitcher is Miyagi (photographed by Ya Kato)
“I told you, please make the walks as good as hits.” You may remember what commander Akifu Okada was talking about last year. Indeed, a walk is the same as a single. No, it may be better in terms of causing discomfort or damage to the pitcher. This was a plan that hit the mark.
So let’s look back at these two games. He wrote that he had lost 0 consecutive games, but in this game, the only walk the Hanshin batting lineup picked was Takumu Nakano. There was no match against Softbank on the 20th. In other words, it could be said that the fact that he only walked one ball in two games led to his inability to score.
Of course, good pitchers like Miyagi on this day and Higashihama Gyo, who pitched on the 20th, won’t let him walk so easily. The baseball common sense that says, “If a good pitcher pitches, it’s not easy to score points” probably comes into play in this area as well. On the other hand, even if the game were to be without one of the main players, would it be possible to attack the pitcher by persistently persevering?
“If you can’t hit, you have a choice.” These are also words that Okada said during last season. Even though this is an open game where winning or losing is irrelevant, I hope that this situation will be an opportunity to return to the origins of “Japan’s No. 1 Baseball.” (Honorific title omitted)[Hisao Takahara](Nikkan Sports.com/Baseball Column “Tiger, Tiger, Become a Tiger!”)
Orix vs. Hanshin In the top of the 9th inning, with Hanshin on first base and one out, Manager Okada tells Itohara to pinch hit. (Photo by Masaaki Maeoka) This column has back issues.
2024-03-23 00:00:19
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