Nippon-Ham The A's lost 4-8 in their opening game against Softbank Hawks Mizuho Peipay on the 29th, their first three-game losing streak in four years since 2022, when they lost five in a row to open the season. The first two players to start the game Chusei Mannami outfielder (25), who played "No. 5, right wing," hit a solo shot in the second inning, and Kotaro Kiyomiya infielder (26), who played "No. 2, first base," followed with a solo shot in the third inning, their second ace of the season since the season opener on March 27. Also, Yuya Gunji catcher (28) got his first of the season in the 8th inning. The batting lineup is in good shape, and we will try to get back on track from the game against Lotte (ESCON) on the 31st.

Manami's ball arced in a huge arc and was swallowed up by the backstop. In the second inning with one out and the score 0-1, he connected with Stewart's first pitch, a 124 km/h curveball, for his second home run of the season, tying the game temporarily. The ball traveled at 170 km/h and traveled 130 meters, and he said, "I'm reacting really well to breaking ball in this series. I was able to react in the best way I could," not missing the off-breaking ball near the middle of the plate, which wasn't the pitch he was looking for.

In the preseason games, he had a batting average of .125 with 0 Home Run in 6 games. With the aim of ensuring he gets more at-bats, he joined the second team for about two weeks in early March. He adjusted his stance and how he sees the ball, and after batting .579 in 5 games, he returned to the first team before the season started. "I think my hitting is pretty good, and I've had a lot of at-bats where I've been able to show the results I felt before the season started," he said with a satisfied expression.

It's not just Manami who's in good form. In the third inning with no outs and the score 2-4, Yuki Kiyomiya hit a 150 km/h fastball on the first pitch for his second solo home run of the season to right-center field. Reflecting on the second back-to-back home runs of the season with Manami, following the opening game, he said with satisfaction, "I'm glad I was able to hit the fastball I was aiming for properly."

Still, in the 4th inning of 3-5, with 2 outs and 1 out, he reflected on the scene where he fell to a swing struck out at third base. "I think I'm able to score the other side (Softbank Hawks because I think I'm able to score one or two more points after playing at key points, so I think I can hit properly in scoring position," he said, keenly aware of the difference between him and last season's champions.

Starting on the 31st, they have a three-game series against Lotte at their home stadium, Escon. Manami said, "This is the first series of the long year, so I hope that at the end of the year we can look back and laugh and say, 'We started the year with three straight losses.'" Kiyomiya Yuki also pledged to make a fresh start at home, saying, "I think Escon is a really strong stadium, so I hope we can play some exciting baseball for the fans to watch." (Kawakami Haruki)