◆Open game Orix Buffaloes vs Hiroshima (4th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes ・Yamashita threw a fastball at a good tempo. He started in the team's first game of the open game and went 5 innings, 3 hit, no runs, 2 strike out. In the first inning with 2 outs, 2nd and 3rd base, he slashed Akiyama with a fastball and slashed struck out, and took the Hiroshima batting line with a curve, fork, and cutter with a maximum speed of 155 km/h. "It was good that (the cut) was thrown within the left-handed hitter," he said with a satisfied expression.

During the Miyazaki training camp in February, he repeatedly practiced a form that would not put strain on his lower back, which had been a problem until 2013. He has pitched a total of 9 2/3 innings without giving runs a run in three games so far, and is doing well. "I need to use a form that doesn't cause injury and throw the ball better than ever before," he said, aiming to complete a season for the first time in his sixth year as a pro.

Ace Miyagi and Sotani will be participating in the WBC, and along with Kuri, the 161-kilogram right-hander is a candidate for the opening pitcher season. He said, "No one has told me which position I will pitch yet. It's only natural for a starter to be ready for the season opener." He is conscious of his second major role in 23 years, and is determined to complete the job.