The Japan National Baseball Team wins the warm-up game, Kuriyama wins the first game with three home runs

The Japan national baseball team will play against Nippon-Ham in a warm-up game for the WBC (World Baseball Classic) to be held in March next year. We won 5-4.

The Japanese national baseball team will play four warm-up games this month as part of their preparations for the WBC.

On the 5th, the team played its first match against Nippon-Ham at the Tokyo Dome, and Hideki Kuriyama, who took office in December last year, took command of a top team without age restrictions for the first time.

DeNA's Shugo Maki, who was selected for the national team for the first time and started as the 3rd and first pitcher, scored two goals with a solo home run.

After that, it was reversed to 2 to 3, but in the 4th inning, No. 6 Yuya Mori hit a two-run home run and took the lead again with 4 to 3.

In addition, Murakami, who hit 56 home runs this season and won the triple crown at the age of 22, was the youngest player ever to win the triple crown.

On the other hand, Softbank pitcher Shuta Ishikawa failed to play the role of starting pitcher, giving up three runs in four innings, but Koto Takahashi, the second youngest pitcher in the team, pitched well in three innings. I showed

In the 8th inning, which was 5 to 3, the third Hiroshima pitcher, Daisuke Moriura, was close to 1 point difference, and he still invited a pinch of 1st base and 2nd base with no outs. The two runners who were jumping out were also out with a force play, and they survived with a triple play.

In the 9th inning, the Giants' large number of pitchers held down the lead with three, and the Japanese national team won 5 to 4, marking Kuriyama's first match with the top team with a win.

Japan will play warm-up matches against

the Giants at Tokyo Dome on ▼6 and

against Australia at Sapporo Dome on ▼9 and 10

.

Yuya Mori "I was able to catch it with a good feeling"

Yuya Mori, who hit a come-from-behind two-run home run in the 4th inning, said, "I was thinking to go aggressively from the first pitch, but I was able to catch it with a good feeling. I won the game, and I personally hit it. I'm glad I did," he said.

Also, looking back on pulling the pitchers as a catcher, "Usually it was difficult because I formed a battery with the pitchers I was playing against, but I was able to know the greatness of each pitcher." rice field.

After that, he enthusiastically said, "I will do my best to win the remaining three games."

Munetaka Murakami "To be a player who is needed by the team and can be made to win"

Munetaka Murakami, who started as the 4th designated hitter and hit a solo home run to extend the lead in the 6th inning, said, "I was driven by the first batter in that inning, so I was conscious of going to base, so it became a home run. I was nervous in the first warm-up match, but I'm glad we won."

Also, regarding the fact that he played as a designated hitter instead of third, he said, "My first priority is to make the team win, and I am preparing to go in any position and batting order." I want to be a player who can win," he said with a sense of responsibility.

Director Kuriyama ``The battle to become the best in the world starts here''

Coach Kuriyama Hideki reflected on the match, saying, ``The more important the game, the more difficult it is to win, and I felt that it would be a close match.''

He added, "From here on, the battle to become the best in the world will begin. The three warm-up games are the last chance to try out various things, so I want to go out to explore the possibilities and win. There are still issues, but I learned that Japanese players are very strong, so I want to prepare well."

Nippon-Ham Kenshi Sugitani The last at bat is a light fly

In the warm-up game, Nippon-Ham's Kenji Sugitani, who is retiring from active duty, made his final turn at bat.

In the 7th inning with a score of 3-5, Sugitani received a big round of applause from more than 40,000 fans when he entered as a pinch hitter in a no-out first base scene.

Then, after hitting the 4th ball from 1 ball 2 strikes and falling to a right fly, he bowed to the stands in front of the bench and hugged his teammates Kotaro Kiyomiya and manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo with tears in their eyes. rice field.

He then commented, "Thank you for all your passionate support over the past 14 years. Today, from this moment on, I will devote myself to further 'progress' every day. I'm really glad that I encountered the sport of baseball!" did.