It seems that the showdown between the best Japanese pitchers in active service will be concluded.
The match between “164 km monster” Sasaki (21) and “Japan’s ace” Yamamoto (24) has become influential.
Lotte coach Yoshii Chiba said, “(Sasaki) goes on Friday (14th) 메이저놀이터on the 7th as a term appearance on the 10th.” Today is the day Yamamoto is scheduled to appear. The confrontation between the best pitchers that can make the Japanese archipelago boil has finally taken place.
On the 6th, his first appearance since the World Baseball Classic (WBC), Sasaki became the winning pitcher with 1 hit and 11 strikeouts in 6 innings, recording a maximum distance of 164 km in the match against Nippon Ham (Jojo Marine Stadium).
Yamamoto also threw 85 pitches in 6 innings against Softbank on the 6th, and became the winning pitcher with 2 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks and no runs. After that, in the first appearance, a confrontation between the best pitchers took place.
In the meantime, a confrontation between the two was expected several times, but it did not come to pass, such as the order of appearances being out of order.
The confrontation between two pitchers, the present and future of Japanese baseball, is a major card that will shake Japan. Coach Yoshii, who was elected to Samurai Japan and served as pitching coach for the WBC, also said before the tournament that he would like to have the two pitch in the United States, where the semifinals and finals will be held.
Sasaki jokingly said of the match against Yamamoto, “I hate it because I won’t be able to win.”
It can be said that it is a difficult match.
It is known that they are on good terms like his brothers, calling them by their nicknames and communicating with each other. In the WBC semifinal game against Mexico, Yakult Murakami, who scored the final hit, was sprayed with a sports drink on top of his head.
A showdown between Sasaki, who achieved a perfect game last year, and Yamamoto, who recorded a no-hit and no-run. There is a lot of interest in who will laugh.