◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 0-6 Rakuten Eagles (August 8, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham lost shutout game on the 8th in a Rakuten Eagles game (ESCON). His winning streak ended at two, dropping to 12 in reserves. Yuya Gunji catcher (28), who appeared as a pinch hitter in the 7th inning, put on a mask for the first time this season from the defense of the 8th inning and runs two inning with his grandson as a battery. He has played fielder single-pitch since camp, but will continue to prepare for emergencies.

He himself recalled being "surprised" to play as a catcher. It was his first time behind the plate in the first team in about a year, since the game against Lotte on August 13th last year (at Escon). This season, he had consistently played as fielder since spring training. "As you can see, my protective gear is sparkling clean. This is the first time I've seen my own gear this year. I haven't caught a single pitcher 's ball this year. I just asked Shindo for the signs. I can do it," he reflected.

Two innings pitched without a run runs— a solid outing. Back behind the plate for the first time in a while,“I didn’t think I’d be behind the plate this season. But I realized that, deep down, catcher is still who I am, and since there was no pressure, I really enjoyed it,” he nodded. With the rise of players like Yoshida and Arizono, whose positions overlap with his as a fielder, he reflected, “If I were batting, catcher I don’t think that would be an option. To broaden my options again, it feels like I’ve gone back to where I was at the start of last year.”

This season, he has made the minimum preparations, such as catching pitches from the pitching machine when he is the last one left on the bench. "It's definitely better to be able to do it, and it will be useful for my future baseball career. But as for this season, I need to hit more. I won't forget that as my main focus," Gunji said. He will face the expectations of being the cleanup hitter from the start of the season while also adapting to his role as catcher. (Yasushi Yamaguchi)