The nervousness set in for Kazuyuki Takemaru lengthy earlier than the sport. He truly felt it start to creep in whereas he was within the bullpen warming up.
In any case, the 24-year-old Yomiuri Giants pitcher was not solely making his NPB debut. He was doing it on opening day at Tokyo Dome, and towards the Hanshin Tigers, Yomiuri’s longtime rival and the reigning Central League champion.
The nerves have been nonetheless there by the point the sport began, not that it was straightforward to inform with the way in which Takemaru calmly went up and down the Tigers’ fearsome lineup.
Takemaru beat again his nerves and the Tigers, putting out 5 batters over six innings of one-run ball in Yomiuri’s 3-1 victory at Tokyo Dome on Friday night time.
“I used to be nervous in the beginning, however I used to be in a position to get into the sport and go after the batters, and it labored out properly,” Takemaru mentioned.
Takemaru grew to become the primary rookie in 64 years to get the beginning for the Giants on opening day and simply the third in franchise historical past. He’s the one one to win.
Takemaru was one in every of two rookies in NPB to begin and win on opening day this 12 months. The Chiba Lotte Marines’ Kaito Mori was the opposite, with the 22-year-old tossing 5 scoreless innings towards the Seibu Lions.
Takemaru got here out firing fastballs within the first inning towards Hanshin and started getting the Tigers to swing and miss his changeup as the sport progressed. All three hits he allowed have been singles and he solely walked two batters.
“He was nice,” Giants supervisor Shinnosuke Abe mentioned.
Takemaru received early run help when Trey Cabbage led off the underside of the primary with a house run. The Giants added one other run later within the inning.
“I simply wished to get us began early within the recreation and get us rolling,” Cabbage mentioned.
Takemaru allowed his solely run within the fourth. He walked Takumu Nakano, who then reached third on a single by Shota Morishita. Takemaru struck out reigning CL MVP Teruaki Sato earlier than Yusuke Oyama received Hanshin on the board with a sacrifice fly.
“Everybody mentioned permitting one run was unavoidable,” Takemaru mentioned. “So I simply did my finest, and I’m glad I used to be in a position to hold it to the minimal runs allowed.”
Takemaru used his four-seam fastball and changeup greater than in his earlier begin towards the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the course of the exhibition season, and he saved Hanshin from doing any critical injury.
“I pitched the way in which (catcher Yukinori) Kishida instructed me to, and I’m grateful to him,” Takemaru mentioned.
Takemaru was the Giants’ first decide within the 2025 draft. He had a powerful efficiency this spring, permitting one run over 12 innings.
With the Giants’ rotation in flux with Shosei Togo beginning the 12 months with the farm workforce and Iori Yamasaki working his manner again from a shoulder damage, Takemaru was pressed into obligation within the opening recreation.
So he made his debut in entrance of a crowd of 42,111 and with the Hanshin cheering part in left subject in midseason kind.
“I assumed it was superb once I stepped on the mound for the primary time,” Takemaru mentioned. “However I didn’t actually hear them after that. It was a wierd feeling.”
By the point the night time was over, Takemaru’s nervousness was changed by aid and happiness as he posed for images with the profitable ball after the sport.
“I hope I can proceed to pitch like this and contribute to profitable the pennant and the Japan Collection,” he mentioned.
