Mexico starter Sandoval batted .121 against left-handed hitters last season
On the 18th (19th in Japan time), the Japanese national baseball team “Samurai Japan” held an adjustment practice of about 1 hour and 30 minutes at Florida International University. The Mexican national team, which will face the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC), is scheduled to start with Patrick Sandoval, colleague of Shohei Ohtani (Angels). The left arm put up a good performance with a 2.91 ERA despite having 6 wins and 9 losses last season. Since 2009, what will be the key to progressing to the finals for the first time in three tournaments?
He scored a total of 38 points in 4 games in the first round. In the quarter match against Italy on the 16th, he scored 9 points with 9 hits and 9 hits. A team batting average of .313 (51 hits in 163 at-bats) makes a strong impression, but the semifinals will not be an easy battle.
Five games for Miami line up from No. 1 Lars Nootvar (Cardinals) to Kensuke Kondo (Softbank), Shohei Otani (Nippon-Ham), Maanao Yoshida (Red Sox), Munetaka Murakami (Yakult) and five left-handed batters. . Mexico Sandoval, on the other hand, is good for left-handed hitters. Last season, he had a .121 batting average, and his slider was particularly powerful with a .185 batting average.
For Otani, Sandoval is a catch ball opponent. Kondo asked for advice on the dual wielding and was advised, “the slider and the outside change.” Will the batting lineup consist of left-handed batters as before, or will Kazuma Okamoto (giant) and other right-handed batters, who scored 5 RBIs including 3 runs scored in the quarterfinals against Italy, are included in the top ranks? Director Hideki Kuriyama’s tact also draws attention, saying, “I will do as much as I can while analyzing it thoroughly.”
(Masaya Kotani)
