Pacific League Seibu – Rakuten 1-0 (March 29, 2024 Rakuten Mobile)
Photo by Sponichi
[Il punto di vista di Hatuhiko Tsuji]Seibu/Imai was amazing. His fastball was fast and his slider was sharp. 3 strikeouts from #4 Asamura. Asamura had felt he had difficulty with Imai, who threw moderately rough and was difficult to target, as he had felt since his time as coach. In this game, Imai threw a high fastball at a speed of 150 km/h and hit a slider with a vertical change to the outside corner with exquisite pitch distribution. He took advantage of Asamura by throwing to him, who improved to the next level.
This is a 10-game hitting streak against Rakuten, but Rakuten’s batting lineup is dominated by left-handed hitters, with the exception of Asamura. Although Imai uses the same slider, he uses a ball with a slight curve and a ball with a drop that can be confused with a fork. These two types of sliders that go into the inside corner are difficult for left-handed hitters to hit. He also has a fastball in the high 90 mph range, which makes it difficult to respond if he gets forced into a corner. Of the 10 wins last year, 6 came from Rakuten. Judging by their pitches that day, they can compete well against other teams with strong batting lineups. I have a feeling they will this year. (critic of the Sponichi newspaper)
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