◆Exhibition game: DeNA vs. Softbank Hawks (Yokohama)

Jeter Downs infielder who represented Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), rejoined the first team for the game against DeNA on the 14th. He arrived in Japan on the 13th and showed no signs of jet lag, participating in pre-game practice. He played for Nicaragua, his father's home country. Although his team lost all four games in Pool D, which was packed with strong teams from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, he had 3 RBI At Bat hit Home Run game against the Netherlands, where he started, he hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the 8th inning, but his team suffered a come-from-behind loss in the 9th inning with two outs, missing out on a historic first WBC win.

"Playing on the WBC stage was a wonderful experience. I grew up near the stadium in Florida where the game was played, and it was deeply moving to be playing on that stage, a place I had always admired, having bought tickets to watch the WBC as a child. Coming so close to our first win as a Nicaragua representative was something I'm proud of, and it was wonderful to be able to fight with all my might towards a single goal. I'm glad I was able to show my family and friends that I was playing. Now that I'm back with The Hawks, my focus has already shifted to the team's goal of winning three consecutive championships. As a member of the team, I want to do my best to achieve that goal," he said.