Professional Baseball Lotte pitcher Aki Sasaki, who made his first start of the season on the 6th, earned his first win with a pitch in which he pitched six innings with one hit and no runs, striking out 6.
After returning to Japan, Sasaki clearly expressed to the press the change in his state of mind that had arisen through the valuable experience of winning the WBC title.
"Last year, I was only chasing results, but this year I want to focus on showing my performance, enjoy my own play and team play in serious matches, and play while playing with a lot of energy,"
Sasaki said on the mound in his first pitch of the season.
In the first innings, I threw more than 1 kilometers of straights one after another, but the strong wind blowing on the ground disturbed my control.
Therefore, Sasaki concentrates on demonstrating his performance.
He found his own form according to the situation of the game, suppressing his opponent while controlling the speed of his straight ball, and led to a good pitch in which he struck out 160 without allowing a runner after the second inning.
In addition, Sasaki embodied the change of heart he felt at the WBC in a different way. That includes his powerful guts pose after getting a strikeout and inspiring his teammates from the bench after stepping off the mound.
It was exactly like the phrase "enjoy your own play and team play."
When asked by the media after the game if he enjoyed the match, Sasaki replied with a satisfied expression, "There were many batters who had one shot in a numbing situation where the one-run lead continued, but I was able to control myself and throw the ball."
In the hero interview, he shared his determination for the season to the home fans who watched his victory.
"I had a good feeling of winning the WBC, so I want to do what I can to do in Lotte."
SASAKI Aki Post-match Statement
It was the first time in a long time that I had thrown a ball with Japan in a game, so I was nervous, but I found my good form in the middle and used the changeup ball well.
"There were a lot of batters with one hit in a numbing situation with a one-run lead, but I was able to control myself and throw.