◆ Farm Championship Final Stage: The Giants vs. Nippon-Ham (4th, Shizuoka)

pitcher Taiki Kikuchi, who moved from The Giants to Nippon-Ham in last December's active player draft, delivered a fine relief performance to escape a game-tying crisis.

In the 5th inning with a 4-0 lead, the third pitcher to appear, Daiki Shimizu, was removed from the game after giving up a two-run timely hit to Nakayama following three consecutive Walk. Kikuchi then went up to the mound in a situation with one out and runners on first and third.

On the second pitch to the first hitter, Tima, Nakayama stole second base, creating a pinch with runners on second and third and one out, threatening a tie. However, Kikuchi struck out Tima swinging and got Mitsuzuka to fly out to center, preventing any additional runs. In the bottom of the inning, Nippon-Ham added a run on an RBI hit by infielder Daigo Kamikawahata, extending their lead to three points.

Kikuchi, a native of Sado Island in Niigata, joined The Giants as the 6th pick in the 2021 developmental draft from Toin University of Yokohama. He was promoted to the 70-man roster and made his first-team debut in April 2022, his first year. In 2023, he flourished as a reliever, appearing in 50 games. This season, after transferring to Nippon-Ham, he has appeared in 6 games with the first team.