Japan, aiming to win the WBC (World Baseball Classic) for the first time in three tournaments, will face China in the first match of the first round on the night of the 9th.
The WBC, which was held for the 5th time this year, has a record 20 teams participating.
The first round will be held in four groups, with Japan playing China, South Korea, the Czech Republic and Australia at the Tokyo Dome, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
Japan's match against China on the evening of the 9th will be the first match of the tournament, and Shohei OTANI will be on the starting mound.
Ohtani has not thrown a batter against an opponent since joining the Japanese national team, but in terms of batting, he has participated in two warm-up games, and has hit 3 hits in 4 at bats, 2 home runs, and 6 RBIs. However, attention is focused on the two-sword style of throwing and hitting.
Also, since the number of pitchers in the first round is limited to 65 pitches per game, the point is how to use the "second starter" who pitches from the middle of the game following the starting pitcher, and the timing of the pitcher relay. increase.
The batting lineup has increased in depth, with the addition of Otani and Masanao Yoshida, who belong to the major leagues, and Nutvar, who have been in the warm-up game just before the tournament, and have marked double-digit hits in two consecutive games.
In the final match on the 7th, Munetaka MURAKAMI and Hodaka YAMAKAWA, who had not been in good form until then, each scored a home run.
Director Hideki Kuriyama enthusiastically said, "I'm aiming to be the best in the world, which I said when I was appointed, so I'm going to keep thinking only about being the best in the world."
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