◆Exhibition game Rakuten Eagles 0-0 Seibu Lions (17th, Belluna Dome)

Seibu Lions 's starting pitcher, Kosei Takahashi (29), left the game after four innings, allowing only two hit out two strike out two, and runs Walk He emphasized his good condition, saying, "I'm ready for the season to start any day now."

In the first inning, he got the first three batters out with 141 km/h slider, getting the leadoff batter to fly out to right field and the next to ground out to second base. Finally, he turned the tables and forced the last batter to fly out to left field with a 152 km/h fastball, ending the inning with three bases loaded, three down. In the fourth inning, he faced a bases-loaded situation with two outs, but he got Sato to ground out to third base, preventing the opposing team from scoring first. "I was able to pitch in a variety of situations. I'm glad I was able to handle them calmly," he reflected.

Last offseason, he announced his intention to challenge the Major Leagues using the posting system, but ultimately decided to stay with Seibu Lions Lions. This was his first appearance in front of the Lions fans at his home stadium since then, and he expressed his gratitude to the many fans who had gathered, saying, "I'm happy, or rather, since it's a home game, I feel like there are a lot of allies here. I really felt like I was being supported, and I'm looking forward to pitching in front of a full house."