◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 3-1 Softbank (2nd, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham Koki Kitayama pitcher Softbank win He pitched 6 hit innings and 1 runs in the middle of the 6th inning. He was runner on his back each time, but he was tenacious pitch and went five innings runs to closer without allowing a hit. The team got on the board first in the bottom of the 5th inning when a groundout bases loaded led to a Kotaro Kiyomiya infielder (25) playground double play collapse. He gave up a Walk to hitter the top of the 6th inning, and although he lost a run, he contributed greatly to the team's first home win of the season.

With his face flushed and sweating, Kitayama swung his right arm frantically. 2 outs and a runner on third with two outs in the 5th inning, he got Yamakawa to ground out to second with a 140 km cutter and put zeros on the scoreboard until the 5th inning. 6 hit 1 runs in 6 innings of good pitching, though he gave up a Walk lead off single in the 6th. He did the bare minimum as a starter in his first outing of the season. He gave the team its first win home start of the season and his own first win of the season, but he was sent to mound the 6th inning, but he was very disappointed that he could not finish the pitch," he said on his lips.

He pitched out of trouble with great care and patience. He pitched hard, putting runner on his back every time, and although he got into scoring position in the 2nd through 5th innings, he got Richard to ground out double play in the 2nd inning and Akira Nakamura in the 3rd inning, allowing no hits runs. In the 4th inning, he got Richard to ground out struck out with two outs and no outs, allowing no one to steal home. He mixed a 153 km/h straight line with cutter and fork and held his ground in key spots.

It was the opponent he wanted to face. Since the end of the training camp, he had been aiming for this game against Softbank. "I think it was essential for me to produce good results (in the exhibition games), but personally, this was my goal. I'm very happy that I was given the opportunity to pitch as I wanted." The league champions were a big obstacle last season. "It's special to pitch against last year's champion team at home," he said as he took to mound, not allowing them to take the lead.

He has a sense of responsibility as a mainstay. In the first S of last year's CS, he started the third game with a 1-1 loss. mound He pitched 5 hit 2 runs innings in the middle of the 5th inning, and his team also win lost the game. I felt a great deal of tension, and there was something to be gained. I felt a lot of tension and I gained a lot from that experience. In the midst of the tension of his first appearance of the season, he did his job of connecting to win.

It has been three years since Shinjo started pitcher the season as a rookie in 2010, the first year of his tenure as Shinjo's manager. The competition within the team is the same, and I feel that the players have improved since last year," said Shinjo. The right-hand man, who has grown with the team under the guidance of his coach, is paving the steep path to the championship. （Yasushi Yamaguchi)

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