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

Softbank Hawks 's winning streak came to an end at six. Hokuto, the eighth pick in the developmental draft who was registered as a regular player on the 1st, made his professional debut as a starter but suffered a loss after giving up eight runs in two innings.

There was a key moment. In the second inning, with the score 0-1 and two outs, runners on first and second base, Shoji fielded catch to the shortstop and throw to second base. However, second baseman Makihara Dai was originally positioned closer to the gap between first and second base, and as a result, he was late covering the base, and a fielder's fielder’s choice was recorded. This led to bases loaded situation, and subsequently, seven runs were scored against them. Hokuto left mound after the second inning.

After the game, infield defense base running, and strategy coach Yuichi Honda gathered infielder, regardless of their position, for the first time this season and spoke to them for about five minutes. It wasn't about technical matters. "I wanted to understand how Hokuto felt going into today's game, now that he's been promoted from the minor leagues to infield to understand his feelings. Our daily schedules are generally fixed, but today is a different day for Hokuto." Did they understand the feelings of the rookie right-hander who was giving his all in his first appearance? It was a play that could have been prevented with a proper check of the situation and a conversation. "To aim for the league championship and the Japan Series title, let's stop neglecting or being careless about those kinds of checks," he said.

Coach Honda continued, "The middle infielders are involved with the ball a lot. In particular, the things we didn't confirm beforehand led to the loss." "I was in the dugout too, and fielder’s choice was painful. I thought, 'Oh no.' I told them to pull themselves together and do better from tomorrow, but it was a moment when I strongly felt that I needed to improve on myself as well," he reflected. He also directed a strong criticism at himself, who is in charge of coaching infield.

While the individual strengths of the batting lineup and pitcher staff are undeniable, it is the meticulous attention to detail, such as base running awareness, that makes the Hawks a consistently winning The Hawks. "I'm glad there were moments where we could focus. We need to stay focused while we're winning. I feel bad for Hokuto, but today was a day that made us realize that this kind of thing shouldn't happen again," said Coach Honda. They will reflect on today's loss and use it to their advantage tomorrow.