◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 7-0 Orix (15th, ESCON)
On the 15th, Nippon-Ham ‘s 2011 first-round draft pick, pitcher Haruki Hosono (23), made his first appearance of the season in a game Orix (ESCON). He teamed up with fellow classmate Shindo and pitched well, allowing six hit no runs in six innings. He recorded a top speed of 153 km strike out, demonstrating impressive pitching. Although he was unable to achieve his first professional win after two starts last season, it was a productive day on the mound. The team won the battle for the top spot against Orix, bringing their lead to seven, tying them for the most points this season.
Hosono taps the glove with a pop and touches with a smile on his face with catcher Shindo. He returned to the bench lightly. With two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning of a scoreless sixth inning, Nakagawa, who was second in the league with 23 Orix RBI, struck out Nakagawa on a slider struck out groundout. “I’m glad I was able to closer with zero.” He clocked in at 153 kph and allowed six hit, but threw six innings, the longest of his career. “There were some areas where what we had been working on at the farm worked,” he said.
He made good use of last year’s reflections. Last season, he made his professional debut on June 18 against Hanshin Tigers (Koshien) and runs one run in the middle of the fifth inning. His second appearance on July 3 against Lotte (ESCON) also saw him keep the game going, giving up three runs in five innings, but he fell short of his first win. He analyzed his own pitch during the offseason. “My swings at balls were lower than average. When I thought about why, I realized that the ball was not coming out well,” he said, honing his control over breaking ball including the two two seam fastball and slider. He also changed his mindset, saying, “I’ll just let them hit it.” “Last year, I often threw the ball high, but this year, I’m pitching it in a narrower range, so the batters are more willing to take the ball,” he said, striking out four struck out with his improved breaking ball.
On this day, he was promoted to the next level and formed a battery with Shindo, who was in the same year as him. Manager Shinjo said, “The sense of security that Shindo had on (the mask) led to this pitching.” He praised the battery, who was also in the same year and paired with him in his first professional appearance last season. Hosono himself also expressed his gratitude, saying, “He actively calls out to me when I’m feeling anxious. He makes gestures and other things during the game, so I can pitch with confidence.”
From now on, he will be preparing to pitch next week without being removed from the team. In his second year as a professional, the left-handed pitcher, who has a top speed of 158 km/h and has been steadily improving, will be looking to grab his first professional win next time. (Haruki Kawakami)
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AloJapan.com