Fall baseball awaits.
Yokohama Baystars’ right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer (32) has returned from injury and is preparing to appear in the Climax Series (postseason). On the 6th, I participated in the first team training held at Yokohama Stadium in Kanagawa Prefecture. He took the mound in an actual game-style simulated batting game and threw a total of 86 pitches. It was his second appearance following the live pitching스포츠토토 of the 2nd team that took place earlier.
He pitched 4 innings and faced a total of 22 batters. According to Japanese media, he had eight hit balls. He threw a fast ball at 151 km/h to the last batter, Daishi Kusumoto, and caught it as an infield grounder.
Yokohama coach Daisuke Miura (50) praised, “The ball had power. The ball itself was good.” Coach Miura said Bauer is scheduled to pitch one more time on the 11th.
Bauer, a Cy Young Award winner, brought strength to Yokohama’s mound this season. After struggling at the beginning of the season, he adapted and played well as the 1st to 3rd starters along with left-handed ace Katsuki Azuma and Shota Imanaga. He not only showed powerful pitching, but also showed his hot-headedness and strong competitive spirit. Last July, he played in the All-Star Game.
Until he was injured in the game against the Hanshin Tigers on August 30, he started 19 games and recorded 10 wins, 4 losses, and an average ERA of 2.76. He pitched 130⅔ innings, striking out 130 batters.
He started 4 games last June, won 4 games, posted an earned run average of 2.08, and was selected as the monthly MVP. In August, just before he fell out of power, he recorded 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1.67.
On August 30th, he injured his leg while handling a batted ball against Hanshin and his registration was canceled. He has recovered smoothly from his injury and is improving his practical sense.
Yokohama ranked last among the six Central League teams in 2021 when legendary coach Miura, a former pitcher with a total of 172 wins, took office. The team was reorganized and ranked in Class A (4th to 6th place out of 6 teams) for two consecutive years.
Last season, they took second place after Yakult Swallows. This year, they advanced to the Climax Series in third place, following Hanshin and Hiroshima Carp. We narrowly lost second place to Hiroshima by half a game. On the 4th, they lost 0 to 1 in the final game against the Yomiuri Giants and swallowed their disappointment. Ace Azuma threw a complete game, allowing 1 run in 8 innings.
The Climax Series First Stage (best of 3 matches) begins with Hiroshima on the 14th. According to the schedule, Bauer is likely to start the third game on the 16th.
Bauer pitched a scoreless pitch until the 10th inning against Hiroshima on August 3. In this game, he threw a total of 123 pitches.
Bauer said, “I want to throw in front of the home fans at Yokohama Stadium.” This is possible only if you pass the Climax Series First Stage and Final Stage to advance to the Japan Series. In the Climax Series, all games are held at the home stadium of the top team in the regular season.