◆ Pacific League 8-1 Softbank Hawks (April 4th, Mizuho PayPay Stadium)

Just five seconds into the game, Lotte's leadoff hitter, Kyota Fujiwara, finished the job in a flash. Leading off the first inning, he took a full swing at the first pitch, a 146 km/h fastball high and inside. The ball landed in the lucky zone in right-center field for a play-ball home run. On mound was rookie Hokuto, making his professional debut. Fujiwara had anticipated that the first pitch would definitely be a fastball.

"It was a straight shot, as expected. I'm sorry, but I went for it (on purpose). I've always wanted to do a personal best shot."

Before the start of this season, he dyed his hair red, saying he wanted to "burn with passion." However, he dyed it back to black because he "got a little tired of it," but then suffered a right shoulder injury, forcing him to leave the field. "I got injured after going back to black, so I think I'll go with red again." On June 30th, he was registered with the first team for the first time in 50 days. He had 2 At Bat in 12 hit in the three games since his return, but he has awakened from his slumber.

Manager Saburo also expressed his delight at the leadoff hitter's return, saying, "That gave us momentum. With Fujiwara batting first, Ogawa and Tomosugi can move to the lower part of the lineup. For me, it's the ideal batting order." The team has risen to fourth place with a two-game lead. "If I can get on base and fulfill my role as the leadoff hitter properly, we'll naturally win," said Fujiwara. The man burning with passion has returned to the cover of the Lotte magazine. (Hiroshi Kato)