DeNA pitcher Katsuki Higashi, who won the title of most wins last season, will serve as the opening pitcher for the opening game of this season for the second time in two years.
This was announced by coach Daisuke Miura on the 7th at the team's home base, Yokohama Stadium, where the team practiced.
Last season, pitcher Higashi started 24 games and recorded a record of 16 wins, 3 losses, an ERA of 1.98, and a winning percentage of .842, winning the title for the most wins and the highest winning percentage for the first time.
So far this season, he has started two games in a practice match and an exhibition game, pitching a total of five innings, and has been stable with no runs allowed.
Manager Miura called Azuma to his room at a hotel in Okinawa in January, the day before this year's camp, and announced that he had designated him as the opening pitcher, saying, ``As with last year's performance, he reported that his independent training is going well. I had accepted it and decided on it from an early age."
Furthermore, in the opening game, he commented on the fact that he has not had a single win in 10 innings, including 7 innings when he was the opening pitcher when he was an active pitcher and 3 innings since he became manager, and said, ``I hope East ends their losing streak. "I'm looking forward to it."
Pitcher Higashi also responded to the interview and stated that in the game against Hiroshima, where he served as the opening pitcher for the first time, he was the losing pitcher after giving up 4 runs in the 6th inning. "I want to pitch in a way that will lead to wins. Also, I want to show through the results that I can become a pillar of the pitching staff this season."
DeNA will open the season on March 29th at their home base for the first time in two years, facing last season's runner-up Hiroshima.