Lotte's pitcher Haruya Tanaka spoke on the 3rd about his determination to get two consecutive wins to start the season. The right-hander, who adjusted his pitching with catch practice in preparation for his start against Softbank Hawks on the 4th (at ZOZO Marine Stadium), said with great enthusiasm, "I'm relieved to have gotten my first win, but it's still just the beginning. From here on, I want to steadily accumulate wins one game at a time."

The Hawks, on the other hand, are comfortably in first place as of the 2nd. Yamakawa has already hit three Home Run, Kurihara has a batting average of .429, and Yanagida and Kondo are also in good form, but he said with determination, "I'm confident that I can closer if I pitch well, and I want to compete with my own pitches." He aims to shut down the formidable opponent and secure his second win.