Pacific League Rakuten 1-5 Lotte (October 1, 2024 Rakuten Mobile)
Rakuten Asamura
Photo By Sponichi
With Rakuten’s 5 consecutive losses, their chances of advancing to the Climax Series have completely disappeared. The battle with Lotte, which had been a fierce battle for 3rd place, ended at home with 4th place confirmed after the 138th game.
Infielder Hideto Asamura (33), who started the game at 4th and 3rd base, said of his 4th place result, “It’s a sport where you win and lose, so I think it can’t be helped that you win and lose. I feel sorry that I caused a lot of trouble,” he said in a low voice.
Even in the final stages of the game, when it started to feel a bit cold at the home base, many fans rushed to the stadium and continued to shout, believing in a come-from-behind CS. “The cheering gave me a lot of strength, and all the players did their best without giving up, so the cheering gave me a lot of strength and I want to thank them,” he said, expressing his gratitude. And, just like last year, they fought for CS until the final stages, but they were unable to make it to the postseason this year as well. When asked what was the difference between 3rd and 4th place, he answered, “What do you think? Well, of course the fact that I couldn’t hit the ball was a negative for the team, and it’s hard to say what was the cause of the loss. But…it’s difficult,” he said with a regretful expression.
Lastly, regarding the growth of the team, which has seen the growth of young and mid-career players, he said, “There are more and more players who continue to play regardless of ranking, and I think they are getting stronger, so that’s not a good thing. I also wanted to do my best in the second half, so I wish I had tried a little harder, but I think there are seasons like this, and it won’t always be good, and I think it’s good for me. It’s been a great experience for me every year, so I’m looking forward to next season with the mindset that I’m definitely going to use this experience as fuel and do it next year.”
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