◆ Practice match Rakuten Eagles and Nippon-Ham (15th, Kin Town)

Nippon-Ham pitcher Kota Tatsu (21) started the game and closer two hit and no runs in two innings. With one out in the first inning, he allowed consecutive hits from Muneyama and Irie, putting the team in a pinch with runners on first and second, but he got Ogō to ground out and Shigenaga to hit a fly ball to center field. Following his game against Hanshin Tigers on the 8th (in Nago), closer the score at runs, saying, "If this had been the end of the season, I would have felt like I'd done well, but I think I need to reflect on the performance at this stage." He cited the 38 pitches he threw in the second inning as an issue, saying, "There were a lot of pitches that were no chance," and reflected on breaking ball, which turned from balls to balls.

With WBC teammates Ito and Kitayama leaving the team from the fourth training session on the 14th, "When those two leave, the atmosphere changes quite a bit, so I feel like I have to take the lead a little bit." The right-hander, who is scheduled to start the third game of the season on March 29th, said, "They're both very frank, but they're very tense during practice, so I hope I can effectively convey that tension to those around me." The 21-year-old, in his fifth year since graduating from high school, exuded a strong sense of self-awareness.