◆Exhibition game: The Giants 8-1 Nippon-Ham (March 15, Tokyo Dome)

Nippon-Ham The Nationals lost their opening game (Tokyo D) against The Giants 1-8 on August 15. The team lost 1-8 in an open game against Yuya Shindo on August 15 at Tokyo D. catcher (24), who started the game at No. 8 catcher, hit Home Run, his first at bat for the first team, in the third at-bat of the 7th inning without getting a hit.

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Even when he was backed into a corner, Shindo had no hesitation. 0-8 with no outs in the 7th inning, count 1-2, Izumi swung at an outside slider corner and hit a ball over the left wall wing. It was his first hit in a game for the first team in his third year after graduating from college. The first time I saw him, I thought, "I'm not going to be able to do that. I think that was a good thing because I didn't just swing at it home run. breaking ball Before he went to bat, Shinjo told him to focus on one type of pitch or the other. "I'm glad that I was able to separate the two," he said.

Last season, he gained experience in the first team by starting as starting line-up in 10 regular season games and in 2 games in the final stage of the Climax Series against Softbank Hawks. However, he hit a wall in the professional leagues, with a batting average of .077. During the offseason, he became an apprentice to Rakuten Eagles 's Asamura, a two-time Home Run champion whom he admired, and rebuilt his batting from scratch. He also worked on physical training, successfully gaining about 5 kilograms. "It's completely different from last year. The angle of my hits is different, and I've reviewed my physical condition, so the way the ball flies has changed as a result," he said, expressing his confidence in his new style.

On this day, he formed his first battery with Arihara. Before the game, I watched Arihara's pitch video from last season many times to expand my image. "I was able to communicate with them, but as a result, I was hit, so I have to reflect on it defense catcher.

This season, after Fushimi moved to Hanshin Tigers, he is in a fierce regular catcher competition with Tamiya and Yu Shimizu. I have to keep appealing. I hope I can do it while understanding my position. The 24-year-old, who has been reborn as a "hitable catcher" player, has emerged as a candidate for the opening day mask.

(Haruki Kawakami)