Are you really going out as a pinch hitter? While preparing for a pinch runner, the coach got a feeling when he asked why he had a two-run tie with a pinch hitter after two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning
Jun 01, 2025
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The Chiba Lotte Marines match on May 31. Nippon-Ham opened the scoring. In the second inning, No. 1 Gunji Yuya (28) hit a double that flew over the right field to the fence. A long shot came out with two outs and a runner on first base.
The lead didn't last long. Chiba Lotte's batters turned the mood back at once in the fifth inning. He concentrated five hits against Nippon Ham starter Sachiya Yamasaki and scored three runs. Hisanori Anda, the fourth leadoff hitter, was sent out by a second baseman error, which became a source of concern.
Down 1-3 in the bottom of the ninth. The mood suddenly changed. Nippon Ham's leadoff hitter Kotaro Kiyomiya hit right and pinch hitter Sugimoto hit left. He created a chance by targeting the fastball thrown by the changed pitcher Suzuki Shuta. With a sacrifice bunt, one out, second and third base. Pinch hitter Yoshida Kengo struck out a rookie in the game until the eighth pitch. If I caught one out count, it was Chiba Lotte's victory.
At the time of Yoshida's at-bat, the instructions "Next time out" came. The player, who had been warming up while preparing as a pinch runner from the seventh inning, went out as a pinch hitter. Yazawa is said to have heard about the substitute and asked "Are you sure?"
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When asked why he raised Yazawa as a substitute after the game, coach Shinjo laughed, saying, `I got a feeling.' At this point, there is a reason to talk about 'New Magic'.
Second base with two outs. Gunji hit a timely hit that fell on the right-wing line in the closing chance. It ended two hours and 56 minutes into the game. He has won three walk-off victories this year, and all three times Gunji finished the game.
Yazawa is a pitcher and batter who saved his team with "one shot". Like Shohei Ohtani (31, LA Dodgers), a senior who grew up in Nippon Ham and became a `superstar', he is developing his dream of 'Iridu'. Like Ohtani, he joined as a rookie in 2023.
He has yet to show his presence as he has become a hot topic. He pitched in 19 games as a pitcher and appeared in 86 games as a batter. This year, he played 21 games as a batter and posted a batting average of 0.256 with 11 hits in 43 at-bats. He went 4 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Nippon-Ham is the No. 1 player in the Pacific League in June. It is 1.5 games behind the second-place Orix Buffaloes. From next week, the Central League and the Interleague will begin.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.