Nippon-Ham pitcher Hiromi Ito participated in starter practice at Escon on the 8th. He made his final adjustments for his start against the DeNA BayStars on the 9th (at Escon), which will be after a five-day rest.

Last time, he was forced to slide due to rain and started against Hiroshima (Mazda) on the 3rd. They gave up 3 runs in the first inning and suffered their third loss in the 5th inning, 6 hit 3 runs. "(In the first inning) we got hit consecutively, but when we do things like that, the team can't keep up. Since we didn't win last week that day, I think I was entirely responsible," he said.

Regarding the DeNA lineup, he said, "Maki is back, and I don't have a preference for anyone in particular, but I want to pitch as usual, making sure I do the basics right, like getting the first baseman strike or the first out." In their first encounter last season, he gave up two runs in eight innings, but lost the pitching duel against Bauer, who pitched complete game only one runs allowed. "I don't have a strong desire for revenge, but I haven't won yet, so I would like to win," he said.