◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 12-3 Orix Buffaloes (3rd, ES CON FIELD)

Orix Buffaloes 's 5th pick in the draft, Shu Takatani pitcher made his professional debut in his hometown of Hokkaido. He took the mound in the 6th inning with a 6-run deficit and runs 1 inning to 5. The fastest was measured at 151 km, but he was baptized hard by the Nippon-Ham batting lineup, which was in great shape. "It was my first appearance in the first team, and I was in my hometown, and I felt like it," he recalled, but he reflected that it was all about getting the lead hitter on base. "Since runner came out, (pitch) has been a challenge," he said.

It's still his first year. The right-handed pitcher, who is expected to be an immediate asset, vowed to make a comeback, saying, "I want to properly address my weaknesses. It's not good if things stay like this. I want to start from scratch again and work hard so that I can throw my pitches anywhere."