◆ Practice game: Lotte 9-2 DeNA (14th, Ginowan)

Lotte's pitcher Yuto Kimura (20) served as the opening pitcher in the first external game of the season against DeNA on the 14th.

He started and pitched two hit innings, surrendering no runs. "First of all, I am relieved that I was able to pitch inning well, and my output was better than I expected, so I think it was a very responsive pitching performance for a first start," he reflected.

Although his fastest pitch of the day was measured at 149 km/h, he was satisfied, saying, "I don't really care about speed.I just really care about the feeling of pitching, and that feeling was good today."

The third-year right-hander made 22 appearances in the first team last season, recording three wins and two losses. "This year, I'm in a position where I need to show my skills rather than relying on experience, and I think I need to pitch well as part of the rotation. I want to keep that in mind, and no matter what, when I'm on mound, I want to win," he said, expressing his determination to become a regular in the rotation.