3rd baseman → 1st baseman → left fielder, there is this kind of '4th hitter' who is doing well as ordered, hitting 6 hits in 9 games and ranking first in home run-run (Min Chang-ki's Japanese baseball)

Jul 18, 2024

Yomiuri No. 4 hitter Okamoto led the team's rise by hitting six winning hits in the last nine games. He hit a total of 15 winning shots this season. Yomiuri, who has won nine games in the past 11 games, is leading the Central League by beating Hiroshima. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

16 home runs-54 RBIs, No. 1 in home runs and RBIs. Okamoto is currently the best hitter in the Central League. He has hit six finals in the past nine games, including two consecutive games against Hanshin on the 16th and 17th. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

The fourth batter, whose main position is third baseman, moved to first baseman this season. It's not because he wants it, but because of the coaching staff's decision. However, he started in left field and moved to first base during the game. It may be said that he thinks of the fourth hitter, the core of the attack, easily, or that he is not respected. However, in the meantime, he made two hits and hit the winning hit to lead the winning streak. He is the best hitter in every game.

Okamoto Kazuma (28), the fourth batter of the Yomiuri Giants, said in a hero interview after the Hanshin Tigers match at Tokyo Dome on the 17th, `I don't sweat much during the game, but I sweated a lot today. It's a long way from the dugout to the defensive position, which made the crowd laugh.

A home game against Hanshin, the No. 1 Central League contender and rival. He entered the starting lineup in left field for the first time in 303 days since September 18 last year. A few days ago, he defended as an outfielder as manager Shinnosuke Abe predicted.

In the bottom of the fifth inning when it was dragged to 2-3. With one out and second base, No. 3 Eliar Hernandez hit a timely hit to the left. a 3-3 tie. Okamoto hit a double over the middle wall with one out and a runner on the first base to turn the flow around.

The final hit that made it a come-from-behind victory by four to three and one point.

Hanshin left-hander Gotaro rolled up a low course cut fastball and hit the fence in the middle. He had a two-hit game in the fourth inning with a left-handed hit.

Okamoto also hit the final shot in the previous day's game. In the bottom of the first inning, he hit a timely first RBI with one out and runners on the first and second bases. a winning shot that led to a 2-1 victory.

Last month, he missed a few scoring chances, so there was talk of batting order adjustment, but he poured out his fearsome concentration. He has six winning hits in the last nine games, raising his team to No. 1 in the Central League. There are a total of 15 final hits this season. Yomiuri has won nine games (2 losses) in the past 11 games. He is leading by one game after defeating Hiroshima Carp.

He had a batting average of 274-86 hits, 16 home runs and 54 RBIs until the 17th. He ranks first in home runs and RBIs, eighth in batting average, and ninth in hits.

Okamoto is aiming for 30 home runs for 7 consecutive years this season. Last season, he was the only player in both leagues to exceed 40 home runs. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

A right-handed slugger capable of defending first base and left field. The most comfortable position for Okamoto, who won the home run title three times until last year, is the third baseman. He is said to have good defense. But there has been a change this year. Sakamoto Hayato (36), the main shortstop who has long represented the team, moved after handing over the shortstop position to Makoto Kadowaki (23), a second-year professional player. Preparation for the future and generational change were needed.

Sakamoto, who has the most hits in active games, will take over as third baseman and Okamoto as first baseman. A variable has occurred. Sakamoto fell into a severe batting slump. The opportunity to play has decreased. Except for the early days of joining the team, it was the first time that he went down to the second division due to poor performance, not injury. The coaching staff turned Okamoto back to third base and put Takumi Oshiro, a catcher with a good batting performance, at first base.

On the 17th, Abe sent Sakamoto to the 6th-3rd base against Hanshin. He made a lineup to give veteran Sakamoto, who returned from the second division, a chance.

A similar thing happened in the WBC (World Baseball Classic) national team last year. Team Hideki Kuriyama used Murakami Munetaka (Yakurt) as third baseman and Okamoto as first baseman. Okamoto took first base instead of Hotaka Yamakawa (Softbank). Even before the competition, he trained for outfield defense and played left field. I played three positions. It's possible because you have the ability.

Usually, No. 4, the core of offense, is fixedly used whether it is in defensive position or batting order. Bae

Okamoto appeared as the Japanese national team's main first baseman at the WBC held in March last year. He gave up his main position, third base, to his junior Murakami and went to left field as he went to first base. Photo capture = Japanese baseball team homepage

I'm considering.

Okamoto hit 30 home runs for six consecutive years from 2018 to last year. Last season, he was the only player in both leagues to exceed 40 home runs. He also became the second captain after Satamoto last year.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto, who started for the first time in five games on the 17th, was hitless in three at-bats. He scored an RBI on a sacrifice hit. No hits in 15 at-bats in the last five games.

huelva@sportschosun.com