Can Shota Takeda, a former Japanese national team pitcher for the SSG Landers, seize the hard-won opportunity?
SSG will play a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the KT Wiz at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 25th. In the previous day's (24th) game, starter Kim Gun-woo threw seven scoreless innings and the batting lineup attacked KT starter Caleb Boshelli, who had been regarded as "Ponce-class" (5 innings, 4 earned runs), resulting in a 5-0 victory.
SSG, third in the league with a four-game winning streak, is aiming for five in a row. Before the game, SSG released its starting lineup. The batting order was Park Seong-han (shortstop), Jeong Jun-jae (second base), Choi Jeong (third base), Eredia (left field), Han Yu-seom (right field), Choi Ji-hoon (center field), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Oh Tae-gon (first base) and Kim Min-sik (catcher).
The day's starting pitcher is Shota Takeda, a former Japanese national team member. The Japanese veteran right-hander Takeda, whom SSG signed under the Asia quota, has taken losses in all three of his last starts and has a very high earned run average of 13.03. SSG is giving him one more chance.
Born in 1993, Takeda built his career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He began his professional career with the SoftBank Hawks in 2011 and, through last year, recorded 217 first-team games, 1,006 innings, a 66-48 record and a 3.33 earned run average.
He was also selected for the Japanese national team at the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 and the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC). SSG had high expectations. He performed well through the exhibition games: 2 games, 6 innings, 3 hits allowed, 4 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 6 strikeouts and 2 earned runs.
But in his KBO League debut against the Kiwoom Heroes on the 1st, he collapsed with 4 2/3 innings, 9 hits allowed, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and 5 earned runs. In the Hanwha Eagles game on the 7th, he also took the loss with 3 innings, 4 hits allowed, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts and 4 earned runs, marking consecutive losses in two games. Then, on the 14th against the Doosan Bears, he again bowed his head after 2 innings, 5 hits allowed, 2 home runs allowed, 2 walks, 1 strikeout and 5 earned runs.
He was eventually removed from the first-team roster. After regrouping in the second team, this KT game could be Takeda's last chance. Manager Lee Soong-yong said before the game, "I hope Takeda pitches well today."
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