KKKKKKKKK5 games without losing five innings, selecting the representative in the first year of bullpen conversion, striking out Yoon Dong-hee, Choi Won-joon, and Park Dong-won for three consecutive swings and misses

Nov 23, 2024

Fujira took the mound in the eighth inning against Venezuela on the 22nd. He handled the three batters with a mistake and laid a stepping stone to the team's victory. He pitched scoreless in 125 Premier games. Photo source = Japanese baseball team SNS

Fujihira, who switched from starting to bullpen pitcher this season, was selected for the national team for the first time. He has pitched in 125 Premier games and continues to make powerful pitches with 11 strikeouts in five innings. Photo Source = Japanese Baseball Organization website

Maki hit a grand slam against Venezuela on the 22nd. He lost the fourth to Morisita and went into the batting order of the sixth. Photo Source = Japanese Baseball Organization website

In 125 Premier games, he pitched five scoreless innings and a ERA of '0'. He gave up three hits and struck out 11 against 25 batters. He struck out as many as 11 out of 15 outcounts. Japan's national team right-hander Shoma Fujihara (26) pitched in the most games at the tournament. He kept his team's victory with near-perfect pitching in each game.

The second Super Round match against Venezuela was held at Tokyo Dome on the 22nd. Japan, which was leading 3-2, gave up the lead by allowing three runs in the top of the sixth inning. But it immediately followed the flow. In the bottom of the sixth inning, No. 9 Sakagura Shogo (Hiroshima) hit a one-run home run and No. 6 Makishugo (Yokohama) hit a grand slam. He scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and quickly reversed the mood. Japan, which won 9-6, recorded 26 consecutive wins in international competitions.

The call fell to Fujihira in the top of the eighth inning with a 9-5 lead. The fifth pitcher turned three batters into a blunder. He struck out Venezuela's 5th to 7th with a grounder, a swing and miss, and a rookie strikeout. He overwhelmed his opponents with fastballs up to 153 kilometers per hour, a 140-kilometer forkball and a 138-kilometer slider. Fujihira said in a media interview that "It was more stable and the ball was better than yesterday. He said, "I'm working with the idea that even though it's a lot of pressure, if I overcome it, I'll grow more."

He took the mound in the eighth inning of the game against the U.S. on Sunday. He struck out one and finished scoreless against four batters. He recorded three group matches, two super rounds and five consecutive strikeouts.

I got off to a fresh start. In the first group match against Australia on the 13th, he went out in the seventh inning and struck out swinging 6-8. He finished the inning with 13 pitches. On the 15th, the Korean War was also completely blocked. In the eighth inning, Yoon Dong-hee, Choi Won-joon, Park Dong-won, and three batters were struck out with consecutive swings and misses. He struck out nine batters in three consecutive games until the warm-up match against the Czech Republic just before the tournament.

At the match against Cuba on the 17th, he finished the ninth inning and secured a 7-6 victory. It is the full operation of all weather conditions in this tournament.

Fujihira wore the Rakuten Eagles uniform as the first rookie nomination in 2017. He pitched as a starting pitcher for seven years until last year. As a first-designated player, he did not grow as much as he expected. I failed to show the results. There were injuries, but he never met the regular innings.

Maki joined the national team again after last year's WBC and Asian professional baseball championships. Maki is Yokohama's favorite to win the Japan Series. Photo Source = Japanese Baseball Organization website

Makiwa Ibata, director of the official interview after the match against Venezuela on the 22nd. Japan has won all seven games from the group qualifying round and 26 consecutive international competitions. Photo Source = Japanese Baseball Organization website

He started 14 games in 2018 and won four games (7 losses, 4.43 ERA). Last year, he won only two games (4 losses, 4.44) in 11 games.

Special closing pitcher Yuki Matsui (San Diego Padres) threw a game-winner to switch to an intermediate pitcher this season when he flew to the Major League. From the first year, he settled down as a top bullpen pitcher. In 47 games, 20 holds, one save, one loss with a 1.75 ERA, a new world has opened for Fujihira.

He became a midfielder and became a representative player for the first time. It's a very special Premier 12 for Fujihira.

Japan is aiming to win four major tournaments in a row, following the 2019 Premier 12, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

huelva@sportschosun.com