◆WBC warm-up match: Hanshin Tigers 4-5 Japan (3rd, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Samurai Japan's Softbank Hawks Kensuke Kondo outfielder hit 2 hit. In the second at-bat of the third inning with two outs and third base, he hit a timely hit in the middle of the field. After Ohtani retired, he changed runner. In the past four games, he had a rare pleasant sound of 10 At Bat hit, but he regained his pre-production style by hitting a midfield hit in the third at-bat of the 6th inning.

In the game Orix Buffaloes on the 2nd, he was batting first before Ohtani, but has since been moved to the second position. Manager Ibata said, "We have two days, so I'll think about it," and is still pondering the decision until the very end. For Kondo, it's a role he had joked about, "I absolutely don't want to bat behind Shohei. It's a heavy burden," but when it was actually handed to him, he calmly said, "I don't think what I have to do will change that much." "I don't think my mindset has changed that much. I think there will be more situations where there are runner on base behind Shohei. It's best to connect with hits, but I also need to think about how to move forward," he said.