The intercity baseball tournament for professional baseball kicked off at Tokyo Dome, and last year's winning team, Tokyo Gas in Tokyo, defeated JR Tokai in Nagoya City 4-0 to make a good start toward consecutive victories.
The 93rd Intercity Baseball Tournament has been held in the winter for the past two years due to the influence of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, but this year it was held in the summer for the first time in three years.
Thirty-two teams that have won qualifying rounds nationwide will participate as representatives of the city and compete in a tournament format.
On the first day of the tournament, three games were played in the first round, and in the first game last year, Tokyo Gas in Tokyo, which won the championship for the first time since its founding in 1945, will participate in the 31st time in a row for two years. I played against JR Tokai.
In the match, Tokyo Gas took the lead in the 5th inning with no goals scored by both teams with a solo home run by Yuto Soma, and in the 8th inning, a two-point timely hit by Kento Tatebe, who was a substitute for bases loaded with one out. Spread out.
The starting pitcher of Tokyo Gas was pitcher Takenao Masuda, who is a high-ranking candidate for the draft, and pitched 114 balls 9 times around a powerful straight with a maximum speed of 151 km to shut out with 5 hits, and the team won 4-0.
This year, the conditions have been relaxed, such as the removal of the
spectator admission limit for the first time in three years, and the removal
of the limit on the number of cheering squads who can go up to the stage for the famous "cheering battle"
.
The tournament will be held for 12 days and the final will be on the 29th of this month.