Lotte's Misho Nishikawa is leading the team both offensively and defensively, and is becoming an indispensable key player.

In the game against Yakult on the 4th, where starting line-up as the number 3 hitter and right fielder, in his first at-bat in the first inning with one out and a runner on second strike and the score tied 0-0, he hit a single to left hit off the second pitch thrown by Ogawa Yasuhiro, an inside slider, which bounced off short stop 's glove. In his third at-bat in the fifth inning with one out and a runner on first base and the score 3-0, he said, "I went for it with the image of hitting it back to center fielder, and I think I was able to hit it at a good point, and I think it turned into a strong hit like that, so I think that was good." He then doble that went straight to the left-center wall fence off the second pitch thrown by Ogawa, fork, which went straight to the left-center field fence. With this, Nishikawa has recorded multiple hit in three consecutive games, and his batting average, which was the best in the league on the 3rd, has risen to .311.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, with two outs and runners on first and second base, he made a diving catch on a hard-hit ball to right field by Tamaki Masuda. He saved starting pitcher Kazuya Ojima with a spectacular play.

◆ Long hit

In an interview on May 13, Nishikawa expressed concern about his lack of home runs, saying, "I don't really think about it during games, but as the numbers show, I've only hit one so far. I'm aware of that, but my swing is gradually improving. I want to continue playing with Home Run." However, the following day, May 14, he hit his fourth solo home run against Nippon-Ham, and has since hit four home runs since May 13.

Regarding his increased hitting power, including Home Run he revealed, "I'm hoping that extra-base hits will come as a result, so I'm consciously working on them during practice."

In the game against Hiroshima on May 28th, in the 8th inning with one out and no runner on base, in his fourth at-bat, he hit a 155 km/ fastball, the fifth pitch thrown by Hahn with a 2-ball, 2-strike, for an RBI doble over the left field fence. The following day, in the game against Hiroshima on the 27th, in the first inning with two outs and no runner on base, in his first at-bat, he hit a 137 km/h cutter doble on the inside corner thrown by Mori Shohei for a double down the right field line.

"I think the best thing was that I was able to land in a position where I couldn't see my right shoulder until the ball hit it," he reflected.

During batting practice before the game, he said that he has been practicing since the end of the exhibition games to "focus on keeping his axis stable," and that he sometimes started hitting with a no-step motion. However, recently he has been adjusting his technique according to his condition at the time, such as lifting his left leg high from the start of his swing, saying, "I do it this way because it feels like it suits my balance at the time."

◆ Right field defense

He had been playing left field since the start of the season, but since Kyota Fujiwara was sidelined due to injury, he has been getting more opportunities to play in right field.

Orix Buffaloes Ryoto Kita wall wall catch Nishikawa said that he is still a little bit new to the light defense position, but he will try to get used to it more and more. On May 24, against Rakuten Eagles, he showed his good defense play as usual by diving catch at first base with no outs Naoki Sato in the 6th inning of a 1-8 game.

Nishikawa thrills fans with his outstanding play in offense, defense, and baserunning. "My desire to perform well remains the same in every game, and I always play with the thought of doing it for myself and for the team. I will continue to work hard to contribute to the team's victory in every game without wavering." He is sure to play a key role in leading the team to win tonight as well.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita