Nippon-Ham advances to the CS finals! Mr. Sakaguchi praises Kota Yazawa ‘s base base running, saying, “He showed his awareness of his usual base running.”
Baseball King
2025.10.12(日) 23:20
◆ “If I thought I was going to surpass it, I knew I would definitely have to go back even before I started running…”
On the 12th, Nippon-Ham win Orix in the second game of the 2025 Persol Climax Series Pacific League (ESCON F) 5-4, securing their second consecutive win and advancing to the final stage. Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, Reyes hit a timely hit that hit the right wall fence, allowing second base runner Ryohei Hosokawa to score and tie the game. Furthermore, first runner Kota Yazawa also made it home, successfully turning the game around.
Regarding Yazawa’s excellent base running that led to the comeback, Sakaguchi Tomotaka, the MC of Fuji TV ONE’s “Professional baseball News 2025” broadcast on the 12th, commented, “Of course, he had already made the start, but he made the decision himself. He knew before he even started running that if he thought he was going to go over, he would definitely come back, and he’s simply fast, so he doesn’t rely too much on runner coach. I think it was a play that showed his awareness of his usual base running. It was a great base running.”
Commentator Hiraishi Yosuke analyzed, “Obviously, outfield would also look out for a long hit when count was 3-2. With Reyes at hitter at the time, it would be difficult for the ball to fly to first base, so first baseman wanted to keep the runner pinned down, so he did what he could, pretending to go in for a pickoff throw.” He praised Yazawa, saying, “In that situation, he went one step further, or even half a step further, as much as he could, and that was fantastic.”
☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE “Professional baseball News 2025”
AloJapan.com