◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 4-0 Orix (13th, ES CON FIELD)
The temperature was 20 degrees Celsius and the roof was open, and the 22-year-old fastball roared. Nippon-Ham With two outs in the fifth, Fukushima struck out Sugimoto on a groundout and walked mound without changing his expression. “My starters were throwing long inning and I wanted to keep going, but I got out in the fifth,” he said, adding that he tossed four hit in five innings in his first start of the season, runs three-for-five innings. He grabbed his first win of the season and made his name for a strong roster.
The biggest pinch was in the second inning with runner loaded and no bases loaded, saying, “If it had been last year, we would have given up two or three runs.” “Last year, I was pitching with all my might, but (this season) I was conscious of stepping up my game after I let runners on base,” he said, striking out three batters with a 155 km/h fastball, his fastest pitch to date. “I guess I’ve grown a little,” he said, nodding.
Manager Shinjo welcomed the synergy with the other starters, saying, “If he has the mindset of pitching complete game next time, I won’t let my guard down.” He is expected to be removed from the roster without having a chance to pitch in the future, but he explained how he used him to get the team’s 10th win as a starter this season, saying, “All we need to do is find out which pitcher is best for us and against which opponent.”
The team has increased its lead to 17, the highest this season, and is in a strong position. With a new star joining the abundant rotation, Shinjo Ham is accelerating its quest for its first league championship in nine years. (Haruki Kawakami)
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AloJapan.com