Sasaki started the 2024 Japanese professional baseball Softbank Hawks at ZOZO Marine Stadium in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on the 8th (Korea time) and recorded 90 pitches, 9 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 3 runs (three earned) in 5 innings, but failed to reach victory.
Since Sasaki failed to advance to the Major League last winter, he has set his sights on “full time.” This is an important season where he must prove his health to enter the big leagues. However, he was twice absent from the roster due to finger and upper body fatigue recovery issues. He returned after 15 days when he left the first lineup, but showed no signs of returning after the game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp on June 8.
Sasaki, who returned to the first division stage in 54 days through a showdown with the Seibu Lions on the 1st, tasted the victory for the first time in a long time as he allowed only one run (one earned run) in five innings amid a limit on the number of pitches in 7 to 80 pitches. Coach Yoshii Masato said after Sasaki’s return match, “I think he will be able to take a break for three days (after his last appearance). The number of pitches will be 15 to 20 more than the last (72 pitches),” expressing expectations.
However, Sasaki’s pitching on the day was unstable. He threw balls measuring up to 160 kilometers or more several times during a long break, but allowed nine hits, the most by a single player, to leave a regret against the top-ranked Softbank in the Pacific League. Sasaki faced crisis situations with consecutive hits by Taisei Makihara and Kenta Imamiya from the start of the first inning. As a result, Sasaki began to increase his speed, and struck out Ryoya Kotaka Konyo, Yamakawa and Kensuke Konyo to overcome the crisis with “KKK.”
However, Sasaki lost his first run in the second inning after a shaky start. Sasaki started the inning by tying leadoff hitter Masaki Tomoya to center field with a fly ball in the top of the second inning, but he was once again in crisis after consecutive hits by Yanagimachi Tatsuru and Kai Takuya. Later, when Naoki Sato grounded out to shortstop, he seemed to be taking a breather by erasing the runner who was heading to second base, but Makihara gave up a timely two-run hit after being hit with a “main weapon” fork ball.
Sasaki finished the defense in the second inning without additional runs, but the runs continued. In the top of the third inning, he gave up a hit to Kondo and Masaki with two outs and runners on the first and third bases, and recorded his third run after being hit by Yanagimachi. Still, in the crisis that continued, he struck out as in the second inning, ending the inning without additional runs.
After giving up three runs, Sasaki began to stabilize little by little, and in the fourth inning, he struck out two despite his defensive errors to tie up Softbank’s lineup, and in the fifth inning, he gave up a walk to Masaki and got another hit by Yanagimachi, but with the help of defense, he finished the defense without losing a point.
In his second pitching after returning from injury, he raised the number of pitches to 90 and the maximum speed to 161 kilometers, and garnered nine strikeouts, which was clearly a positive factor. However, it was Sasaki’s homework that all eight of them came out of fastballs in the process of giving up nine hits, her personal tie record.
According to Japan’s Sankei Sports, Sasaki said after the game, “I was not able to throw things that would bring about the flow. I will clearly reflect on this,” adding, “I threw whatever I wanted to throw to a certain extent, and the ball was better than the last game. However, I was hit. I will look back and see what went wrong. I will prepare for the next game by looking for various factors including Kuse (habit).”토토사이트 모음
If there is a bright spot amid many hits, the breaking ball was not attacked. And there is no problem with his physical condition. “I didn’t get any hits on the previous pitch, and only one hit today. I went on a relatively good course on the breaking ball,” Sasaki said when asked about his physical condition, adding, “I had no problem this time. I think (restraint) has various problems such as condition and form. Of course, I am conscious of myself to throw strong balls. I will try to throw better pitches.”
“I threw the ball where I wanted to throw it. The ball was better than the last time,” Yoshii said, but added, “Since I got hit a lot among them, I will look back and see what didn’t go well.”