Orix Buffaloes Manager Mamoru Kishida Expects a Battle for Winning Formation: "The Competition Has Already Begun" - Strict Order for Soichiro Yamazaki to Play at Full Speed | Pacific League

[Orix Buffaloes] Manager Mamoru Kishida expects a battle for the winning pattern "The competition has already begun" and orders Soichiro Yamazaki to play at full capacity

Sports Hochi

2026.1.5(月) 05:00

Orix Buffaloes Manager Mamoru Kishida (44) on April 4, looking forward to a "battle" for the winning pattern. He said, "(The seventh and eighth innings) are all competitive. pitcher There are only certain slots for the seventh and eighth innings. The competition has already started.

Last year, when they finished third, the relief corps' combined ERA was 3.58, fifth in the league. Nevertheless, Iwasaki, who joined the team in a cash trade from Chunichi in May, recorded 16 hold in 37 games, and the emergence of young players was also shining in the final stages of the season. "I'm glad that Mukunogi has become reliever, and we also have Saiki and (Yamazaki) Soichiro. We've seen quite a few power pitcher emerge," said the manager. "The hardest thing is to perform well consecutively. It's not that easy, but of course I want that to happen," he said, anticipating a high-level competition.

He especially gave Yamazaki a loving scolding, saying, "He has a tendency to travel alone (laughs). It's his 10th year, so I told him that he should do it properly." He also said, "He's popular and handsome, so in that sense he is a special person in the eyes of the world. It was good to see the intention behind the balls he threw towards the end of the game. I'm sure he'll do well from the start of the new year," giving him a stern command to work at full speed. (Nambu Shunta)