「2.79」

Lotte currently boasts the second-best relief ERA in the league. Under former manager Masato Yoshii, the relief pitchers were generally kept from pitching three consecutive days or more than four times in a week, and pitching appearances were carefully managed. In the three years from 2023, when Yoshii took charge, the only pitcher to pitch three consecutive days was Takuichi Sawamura in the Climax Series first baseman Stage against Softbank Hawks in 2023; no other pitcher three consecutive days that season. In 2024, Naoya Masuda did it once, and last season no pitcher three consecutive days.

In 2023, only Koshiro Sakamoto pitcher four or more times in a single week, and Naoya Masuda and Daiki Tojo did so once each. However, in 2024, no pitcher pitched four or more times in a single week, and last season only Rikuto Yokoyama achieved this feat. The team also didn't establish a fixed winning pattern, instead often relying on multiple winning strategies based on the opposing team's batting order and the condition of their players to secure the win.

Under new manager Saburo, the team has played 41 games so far this season, and no pitcher has appeared more than four times in a week. However, Yokoyama pitched three consecutive games from Thursday, May 14th against Nippon-Ham to Saturday, May 16th against Orix Buffaloes.

When asked about the management of relief pitcher appearances at the Miyakonojo spring training camp on February 6th, Coach Tomohiro Kuroki said, "Basically, we look at the players' condition. If it's a situation where they have to take a gamble, I think there's a non-zero possibility. We tell the players that such a thing is possible and that it will put a strain on them both physically and mentally, and we've been working with that in mind since last fall, through their individual training and into spring training. That being said, we don't intend to overuse them, so we'll proceed while looking at the players' condition."

Based on that, when asked if Yokoyama pitching for three consecutive days was related to what he had said about "it being a possibility depending on the situation," Coach Kuroki told us in an interview on May 17th, "It was something that was done depending on the situation."

Although Yokoyama pitched three consecutive games, he was not on the bench for the game against Nippon-Ham on Friday the 17th, after pitching back Rakuten Eagles games against Nippon-Ham on Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th. Similarly, Shota Suzuki who often pitches in the 8th inning of winning games, was not on the bench for the game against Seibu on Saturday the 11th, after pitching Seibu Lions Seibu Lions games against Orix Buffaloes on Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th. Softbank Hawks Keisuke Sawada, who pitched against Softbank Hawks on Friday the 3rd and Sunday the 5th, and then against Orix Buffaloes on Tuesday the 7th after a day off, was not on the bench for the game Orix Buffaloes on Wednesday the 8th.

Even though Yokoyama pitched three consecutive games, I wonder if his general image this season is that he won't pitch three consecutive games, and won't pitch more than four times in a week.

"Until last year, there were restrictions and expectations about when the players would pitch, but we've basically eliminated all of that. We've talked to the players about this, but we're also careful not to overuse them. We're constantly checking their condition, including the trainers, and we're all looking at the players to see if they can do it or not. We're talking to them individually and checking their physical condition before deciding when they'll pitch. So far, we haven't imposed any restrictions or limitations on the players." (Coach Kuroki)

When I spoke with the players, Keisuke Sawada expressed enthusiasm, saying, "I'm not fatigued at all! I want to pitch as many games as possible," while Shota Suzuki said, "I've been pitching eight innings all along, so it's a position that's easy to prepare for. Of course, it's important to do your best at the inning you're entrusted with, but since it's an important inning, at least 8 times. I'm fully prepared for that," he said, swinging his arm with determination.

Yokoyama pitched in the inning game on April 15 against Nippon-Ham, throwing his first of the season and runs 1 and 1/3 innings. On April 16, he pitched the 9th inning with a 5-3 lead and earned a save against Nippon-Ham the next day, and on the 19th, in the game against Rakuten Eagles, he pitched 8-5 in the ninth with no bases loaded outs and no runs. Despite the long offensive time and the Rakuten Eagles momentum shifting, Yokoyama managed to secure a solid save. Every mound on April 14 was a tough situation, but in an interview on April 21, he said, "So far, I'm not having any particular problems, I'm pitching in games, and my physical condition is perfectly fine, so I hope to focus on care and keep going throughout the entire season."

◆ Number of people on the bench

At the start of the season, there were nine relief pitchers on the bench, but since Koshiro Hiroike was moved to the starting rotation, there have been days when only eight relief pitchers were on the bench. I wonder if that's due to a balance with fielder.

Coach Kuroki prefaced his remarks by saying, "That's something we do as part of the team's strategy," and then revealed, "From pitcher perspective, we would like to have more players on the bench, but considering the team as a whole, we have to have an eight-man system."

The relief pitchers hold the key to win. When asked about his expectations for the relief pitchers going forward, Coach Kuroki said, "Looking at their current condition, they are in good shape, or rather, they are maintaining their good form. We want to manage them while considering how to maintain their condition and prevent their performance from dropping." Sam Long who had shown stable pitch since the start of the season, has been moved to the starting rotation, but Shunsuke Nakamori, who was delayed due to injury, has returned to the first team, and Fumiya Ono who started the season in the minor leagues, has also been throwing powerful fastball since being promoted. Both the quality and quantity of the pitchers are now in place. They want to win as many close games as possible. For that to happen, the performance of the relief pitchers will be crucial.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita