◆ Practice game between Orix Buffaloes and JR Kyushu (22nd, SOKKEN) = Rained out after the top of the 5th inning =

Orix Buffaloes catcher Ryoma Yamanaka (25) has entered the battle for a starting position at first base. On the 22nd, he started as the seventh batter and first baseman in the practice game against JR Kyushu (SOKKEN). With the score at 1-4 in the first inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, he swung at the opposing left-hander's first cutter and hit a grand slam to right-center field to temporarily take the lead. "It was a chance, so I went for it. It turned out to be a great result." In the third inning, just after the game was tied, he hit sacrifice fly to give the team the lead, earning five RBI.

In his rookie season last year, he played in 19 games with a batting average of .122, one Home Run, and three RBI. Reflecting on his performance, he said, "I was too eager for a hit and ended up just trying to make contact with the ball," and during the offseason, he set his sights on "swinging through properly even if I get jammed." During spring training, he stayed behind every day for batting practice. "I really hit the ideal ball. I want to use this as a source of confidence going forward," he said, expressing his satisfaction.

catcher Also registered, his goal is to be a regular at first base, outfield. With Tonomiya, a regular first baseman out with an injury, he was determined to fight, saying, "It's not because someone else is out, I'm just going to do what I can do to the best of my ability. (Shunta Nambu)