◆ Pacific League: Lotte 2-5 Softbank Hawks (April 4th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Softbank Hawks pitcher Haru Matsumoto earned his second win of the season, pitching a career-high seven innings and allowing only one runs.

On this day, the weather was unstable, with rain in addition to the wind characteristic of ZOZO Marine. The first mound pitcher, Haru Matsumoto, showed tenacious pitch performance while giving up three Walk. In the 5th inning, he allowed Fujiwara to hit a timely hit up the middle with two outs, but "I was able to be tough on him and let him hit a weak ball, so I was able pitch to separate that from my mind that it couldn't be helped," he said. runs In the bottom of the inning, he also closer was able to get the win.

This season, he has earned a spot in the starting rotation for the first time in his career. There is a philosophy he holds dear: "It's not about getting 100 points or 0 points, but about raising the average score." "Last year, pitchers like Arihara and Uwasawa, and also Moinelo, were able to pitch well even when they were having a bad season. pitcher can maintain their place in the rotation throughout the season and win in the end are those who can do that." He has strengthened his resolve to pitch for the entire year.

Mental performance coach Ban Motohiro also acknowledged Matsumoto Haru's growth, saying, "Last season, if his fastball wasn't sharp, he would try to work hard to improve its sharpness. Now, he has a much more settled way of thinking about what to do in the situation he's in, and what to do based on that situation. I think that's one of the reasons why he's able to make it into the Haru Matsumoto." The bad weather that day must have made it difficult for him to perform at 100% of his ability. However, instead of striving for perfection, he secured the win with a mindset that took the current situation into account.

"I think it's an essential skill for pitcher, and something I lacked. I hope to further refine it." The season has just begun. He also expressed his gratitude to the hitter who helped turn the game around, and calmly looked ahead.