[Nippon-Ham] Tatsuki Mizuno, who injured his left thigh, hit a two-run doble immediately after returning... Stopping the losing streak at three... Manager Shinjo also praised him, saying, "I'm glad he's the sixth batter."

Sports Hochi

2025.7.5(土) 05:30

3回に中越え2点二塁打を放った水野(カメラ・池内 雅彦)

◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 7-1 Rakuten (4th, Escon)

Nippon-Ham stopped their losing streak at 3 with a comfortable win against Rakuten on the 4th. He passed Softbank and moved up to second place. Tatsuki Mizuno infielder (24), who is returning from a left thigh injury, played starting line-up in the No. 6 spot. With two outs in the third inning, he hit a two-run doble to close out a five-run big inning from second base. His batting average with runners in scoring position is an astonishing 4.58. The man who is strong is back.

Mizuno swung sharply at a high fastball that was a little too soft for his liking. The ball flew high over center fielder 's head and hit wall. In the third inning, with a three-run lead and runners on first and second with two outs, Mizuno hit a two-run doble over center field to put an end to Rakuten 's starting pitcher Hayakawa. "Before the game, (Ito) Taikai told me, 'You often hit the ball when I'm pitching,' so I'm glad I was able to hit it," he said.

He returned in perfect condition. He was removed from the roster on June 1st due to an injury to the posterior tendon of his left thigh. He returned to action in the second team on the 17th, and from then on played in nine games with a batting average of .357. He didn't get caught up in the results, but consulted with his coach and made his goal clear as he stepped up to the plate. "I was able to hit the ball pretty well, but the fact that I was able to step up to the plate with more thought in mind made it a better time," he said, nodding.

His competitive spirit is still strong. With this hit, he now has 11 At Bat hit of 24 in scoring position, with 20 RBI. His batting average is an astonishing .458. However, before the game, when he went to greet the coach in the coaching room, batting coach Yagi jokingly said to him, "This guy won't hit. I don't have high expectations." Just as he said before the game, "I want to show him something. I want to give him an at-bat that makes him say wow," he took advantage of the opportunity and produced results.

The team's losing streak was stopped at three, and they rose to second place. Manager Shinjo, who had sent a message saying, "Don't be impatient, just come back in top form," praised Mizuno, saying, "I'm glad he's number six. The players who come up are fired up and have the concentration. He hit at the right time." With the same competitive spirit that the manager once likened to a "lottery ticket," Mizuno has returned and changed the flow of the team.

(Yamaguchi Yasushi)

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Pacific League News

[Nippon-Ham] Tatsuki Mizuno, who injured his left thigh, hit a two-run doble immediately after returning... Stopping the losing streak at three... Manager Shinjo also praised him, saying, "I'm glad he's the sixth batter."