"16 hits → 2 hits." Suddenly, the frozen Japanese bat was completely defeated by Sobang 0-4... The least hit in 16 years is 'disgrace'

*This content was translated by AI.

The bat of the Japanese baseball team's Samurai Japan, which aims to win its second consecutive World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament in March, cooled overnight. The firepower show that was driven by the previous day (22nd) went nowhere, and suffered from the all-time poverty and humiliated the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks with only two hits.

The Japanese national team, led by head coach Hirokazu Ibata, lost 0-4 against Softbank at San Marin Stadium in Miyazaki, Japan, on the 23rd, with the lineup tied to just two hits in the second warm-up match. In the game on the 22nd, he had 16 hits and won 13-3 with no momentum.

Japan's starting lineup on the day consisted of Kensuke Kondo (designated hitter), Ukyo Shuto (right fielder), Shugo Maki (second baseman), Teruaki Sato (third baseman), Shota Morishita (left fielder), Taisei Makihara (middle fielder), Kaito Kozono (striker), Kenya Wakatsuki (fourth baseman) and Raito Nakayama (first baseman). The starting pitcher was right-hander Hibiki Shinohara (Seibu Lions).

On this day, the Japanese national team's batters had to realize the height of the Softbank mound. The batting lineup, which showed lethargy throughout the game, was all of Japan's hits to left field recorded by Nakayama, a support player dispatched from the Yomiuri Giants in the top of the sixth inning, and a double to left field hit by Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers) in the top of the ninth inning. He couldn't even get a chance to score properly because he couldn't timing the Softbank pitchers' elaborate control and breaking balls. There was also a scene where Sato Teruaki entered the batter's box late and violated the pitch clock.

The two-hit game also left a painful figure in terms of records. According to Japanese media Sports Hochi, it is the lowest ever that a national team consisting of all professional players has only two hits in a game since 1999, when professional players began to join the Japanese national team in earnest.

This is the first "minimum hit tie ever" in 16 years since the two hits recorded during the Intercontinental Cup Italy match (0-3 loss) on October 27, 2010. Even including the days when amateur players were mixed, it is a rare empty ball that is only the third in its career since the 1999 match against Taiwan.

It was a valuable opportunity to check the power ahead of the WBC finals, but the result was heavy. The mound also allowed four runs to the Softbank batters, leaving complementary points on both sides of offense and defense. Japanese media are raising concerns about the ups and downs of the batting line, saying, "The nightmare 16 years ago was recreated."

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*This content was translated by AI.