◆Pre-season game: Hanshin Tigers 1-0 Softbank Hawks (7th, Koshien)

After suffering two consecutive shutout game losses to Hanshin Tigers, Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo was not pessimistic about the silence of his batting line. "Well, they're pitcher, aren't they?" he applauded the opposing pitcher. The first-string relievers, Yuasa, Moretta, and Oikawa, were substituted for Otake and Takahashi, who are sure to be in the starting rotation, and the team ended up with five hit and no runs.

In their own pitcher formation, Rodriguez, a training player, took the mound in the 5th inning and retired 3 outs. His fastball and slider with a maximum speed of 155 km were also stable, and the commander highly praised him, saying, "I can get a solid strike with a breaking ball and I can make a quick move. Order Ogata who switched to the starting lineup this season. In the 4th inning, he went 3 hit 1 pitch runs with 82 pitches, and he said, "After driving in, it is difficult to decide on the deciding ball. I still have the impression that there is a slight difference depending on the pitching."