June 19, 2024: Hanshin Tigers（阪神タイガース）

What a great player! I am very grateful for Hiroto Saiki! He plays as a pitcher for a professional baseball team, the Hanshin Tigers. He has made a significant change this season. And he has made a contribution to the team. He showed a good pitch at the game against the Soft Bank Hawks on 16 June. It was his eighth win of this season, and he is leading the hurler's derby. The team could not have kept their current position without him.
As I said in my previous articles, the team has not been in as good condition as the last season. In particular, they have been struggling at the plate. None of them other than Koji Chikamkoto have been able to show their consistent batting. In particular, the clean-up hitter, Yusuk Ohyama, is in a terrible batting slump and is now on a farm. On the other hand, a number of hopeful signs can be seen. The outfielder, Ukyo Maegawa, is showing great improvement and hit a grand slam in the same game as Saiki pitched. He still needs to improve his consistency, but is a star of my hope.
For now, the team has managed to keep a good position enough to win the league thanks to the hard work of the pitching staff, including Saiki. But the pitching staff will not be able to keep the good condition with the coming of a hot and humid summer. The team will not be able to win the league without the revival of the strong batting line. The team will come to the most important stage after the all-star games in July. I really hope the batting line will come to work as well as they did last season.

　なんとすごい人でしょう！才木選手には、本当に感謝です。阪神タイガースのピッチャーとして、チームに貢献してくれています。6月16日のソフトバンク線でも好投を見せてくれました。今季8勝目を挙げ、ハーラーダービーのトップです。才木選手がいなければ、チームは現在の位置を維持てきていなかったでしょ。
　以前の記事でも述べたように、チームは、昨シーズンほど状態が良くありません。特に打線が苦しんでいます。近本選手以外は安定したバッティングを見せることができていません。特にクリーンナップの大山選手は大不振で、現在はファームにいます。でも、明るい兆しもあります。外野手の前川選手は才木投手が登板した試合で満塁ホームランを打つなど、大きく成長しています。まだまだ安定感が必要ですが、期待の星です。
　今のところ、才木投手をはじめとする投手陣の頑張りでリーグ優勝を狙える好位置をキープしています。でも、蒸し暑い夏がやってくると、投手陣はコンディションが崩れてきます。強力打線の復活なくしてリーグ優勝はありません。7月のオールスター戦以降、大事な時期に差し掛かります。昨シーズンのような打線の奮起を期待したいです。