Sasaki Rocky (22, Chiba Lotte), the ‘Fireballer’ that Japanese baseball boasts, was also a monster.슬롯사이트
Sasaki started a practice game against the Yakult Swallows in Okinawa, Japan on the 15th and pitched 2 innings, 1 hit, 5 strikeouts and no runs. His fastball top speed was 160km, and his forkball control was also stable.
It’s no surprise that Sasaki, who had a fastball of up to 164km last season when he achieved the ‘perfect game’ feat, threw a 160km fastball. The important thing is that he threw the ball 160 km in a practice game held more than a month before the season opener. When Sasaki pitched in the bullpen last week, he threw a 160km fastball, drawing compliments of “As expected, Sasaki!”
On this day, he also showed off a pitch that evoked admiration. The highlight is the match against Munetaka Murakami (23). Sasaki fired a 160km fastball from the ball count 1B2S towards Murakami, and Murakami threw a bat and went away helplessly. It was a powerful crystal ball that made Murakami shake his head.
Murakami, who was selected as the Central League MVP, recorded 155 hits, 56 homers, 134 RBIs, 114 runs, 118 stolen bases, and a batting average of 0.318 OPS 1.168 in 141 Japanese professional baseball games in the 2022 season. Murakami, who hit home runs in 5 consecutive at bats, is a slugger who became the home run king, and also achieved the youngest triple crown (batting average, home run, RBI).
Although it was a practice game, he overpowered such a hard hitter by throwing fastballs toward his body without fear. After the game, Sasaki said, “It’s a practice game, but I didn’t want to hit a home run, so I threw it as hard as I could.” Japan’s national baseball team’s coach Hideki Kuriyama, who sees Sasaki’s fighting spirit, is also pleased. Sasaki is a right-handed starting resource for the Japanese baseball team, which will compete in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) with Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres) and Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels).
In an interview with Nikkan Sports after the game, Murakami, who will be the main hitter for the WBC Japan baseball team, said, “Sasaki seems to be ready (WBC) already,” and “I want to make great results together at the WBC.”
Meanwhile, Japan will play the first round of the WBC against China on the 9th of next month, followed by a Korea-Japan match at the Tokyo Dome on the 10th.