CS first baseman stage Game 3
● Seibu Lions 1 － 4 Nippon-Ham ○
＜October 12, Belluna Dome＞

Akihiko Ohya, who appeared on 'Professional baseball News 2026' broadcast on Fuji TV ONE on the 12th, commented on the Seibu Lions battery who were caught by a fake squeeze.

In the 7th inning with one out and a runner on third, trailing 1-3, Nippon-Ham's Shu Yamagata showed a bunt stance on the first pitch. Seibu Lions' Hibiki Shinohara hurriedly threw a pitch out, but catcher Taiga Kojima could not catch it, resulting in a wild pitch. This allowed the third-base runner, Tatsuki Mizuno, to score.

Mr. Oya commented sharply, "They were flustered; this was a situation where they should have been prepared for a squeeze. Despite that, the catcher couldn't catch up, and while there are various ways to defend against the first pitch, there was no preparation at all."

Mr. Oya pointed out sharply, 'This is a situation where a squeeze play is possible. That is the first thing you have to be careful about.' He explained, 'The third-base runner looked like he was about to start. It was the batter's stance; he moved forward as if to say "here I go" and squared around to bunt. Seeing that, Shinohara hurriedly tried to throw a pitch-out, but the catcher couldn't keep up.'

When the program host Hiroki Nomura asked, 'The Lions' battery is young, isn't it? Even so, can we assume their vigilance was low?', Mr. Oya pointed out, 'I think there were ways to handle it if they had been a bit more careful. From the perspective of the defending side in that situation, you can't give up even a single run. If you think there might be a squeeze, you could even pitch out on the first ball. Just doing that shows you are on guard. They should have been able to handle the first pitch without panicking. If you have nothing planned, you end up throwing in a hurry and can't react. Since they are young players for The Lions, they may need various experiences, but I believe preparation is necessary.'

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"