◆ Pacific League Seibu 3-0 Orix (16th, Belluna Dome)
Orix pitcher Kohei Azuma (25) vowed to win the game against Seibu on the 16th and 17th (Belluna D). The team has fallen to third place, and he is on mound for his first win of the season. “I’ll go all out from the beginning and try to minimize the number runs, preferably none. I want to pitch in a way that helps the team win,” he said, quietly expressing his fighting spirit.
Last year, he started in 10 games, and his last win was against Yakult on June 15th (Kyocera Dome). He had surgery on his right elbow in August, and on his return to the first team against Nippon-Ham on the 6th (Kyocera Dome), he was knocked out after giving up 5 hit 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings. He especially reflected on pitch in the second inning, in which the opposing team allowed 5 hit in total, including 3 consecutive hits and 2 consecutive hits. “Even if I get hit, I want to be conscious of cutting out the next hitter,” he said emphatically. After pitching, he checked the video with the pitcher coach and discovered a slight discrepancy in his form. He immediately worked on correcting it, and had a good feeling about it during his bullpen pitch on the 14th, saying that he was “feeling good.”
The opposing starting pitcher, Imai, has a near-perfect record of 4 wins and 1 loss in 7 games this season, with a league-leading ERA of 0.51. There is no doubt that he will be a tough opponent, but he did beat Togo, pitching 8 runs innings in a game against The Giants (Tokyo Dome) on June 7th last year. In total, he has 2 wins and 0 losses in 3 games against Seibu, ERA 2.50. Considering their compatibility, there should be a chance of winning. He is the “man who never loses,” having recorded an undefeated 8-game winning streak as a starter since his debut in 2010. He will demonstrate his power as an ace killer and take a step towards a complete comeback. (Nambu Shunta)
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AloJapan.com