◆ Koshino was impressed by the fastball that closer the Rakuten batting line, saying, “Even Murabayashi, who has a batting average of 30%, couldn’t throw it forward.”
Nippon-Ham ‘s Hiromi Ito started against Rakuten on the 17th. He pitched 100 pitches in 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, 8 hit strike out 1 Hit by Pitch and 2 runs, earning his 12th win, the most in Pacific League League.
Kenji Soshino, commentator for Fuji Television One’s “Pro baseball News 2025” broadcast on the 17th, commented on Ito’s pitch content, “First Nippon-Ham scored a point, and Ito made the game exactly as it should be. The engine is already at full throttle from the start, and the quality of fastball is also superb,” he evaluated, “And even if fastball comes at the timing when hitter is squeezing, it doesn’t fly forward. Even Itsuki Murabayashi that keeps a 30% batting average and has the ability to put up yama and finish them off with a single shot, it doesn’t fly forward. He threw that much fastball and screwed it up. Ito was great today because he has a straight line and also splitter can’t hit if he doesn’t react fast, so the moment he threw it, he swung out and splitter couldn’t get a hold of it,” he marveled.
The show’s MC, Tsutomu Iwamoto, analyzed Ito’s change in mindset, saying, “He also pitch very well in his last duel with Softbank ‘s Moinelo. After the All-Star break, there were a series of games where it seemed like his motivation wasn’t quite right to return to the pennant, but when he faced the talented pitcher Moinelo in the battle for the top spot, he was even more fired up. He took to mound today with the same form.”
☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE “Professional baseball News 2025”
AloJapan.com