◆Exhibition game: Nippon-Ham vs. Seibu Lions (5th, Escon Stadium)

Nippon-Ham pitcher Fukuya Yamazaki started the game, giving up four hit and two runs in four innings. He gave up runs on an infield hit and sacrifice fly fly, but his fastball, which he had been focusing on, showed its power throughout the game, reaching a maximum speed of 143 km/h in the fourth inning.

In the third inning, after two Walk and infield hit, the team faced a bases-bases loaded situation with one out. Nishikawa's batted ball hit the bat, which he had stopped, hit in an infield hit to third base. This allowed infield to score the first run. However, the next batter, Watanabe, hit into a double play play, escaping the inning with minimal runs.

In the 4th inning, with Walk and Canario's left field line doble, they faced a pinch with no outs on second and third base. Murata then finished off with a struck out swing, but allowed a middle sacrifice fly to Tsuge and lost the second goal. The follow-up was cut off, 4 hit 2 runs 4 innings, 3 Walk 2 strike out. He went down mound on 59 pitches.

Yamazaki reflected, "I wanted to throw faster today, so that was good. My speed didn't drop until the end, and I think my average pitch speed increased, but that meant there was a bit of inconsistency. I'd like to be able to match my control and speed, or at least work together."

There were also scenes where he took a straight swing, such as taking a straight swing struck out from Sotozaki, and said, "Last year, there was no such thing as a high and straight swing.

His new screwball pitch was good, striking out Hasegawa with a foul fly in the first inning, but Canario, who pitched it too softly, hit doble the left field line. "I thought it was bad to pitch it too high, but on the other hand, when I hit it in the right spot, it made the batter lose his composure. Now it's just a matter of being able to throw the ball well. I think it's dangerous to pitch it too softly," he said, pointing out this as an issue for the future.