Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Change Lineup to Avoid Elimination
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The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are playing an important baseball game. They need to win. If they lose, they will be out of the playoffs. The score is already bad for them. They have zero wins. Another loss means four losses in a row.
The team made a big change. They changed their starting lineup. A player named Kiyomiya Koutarou will now bat third. This is called the batting order. The team hopes this change helps them win.
The pitcher for this game is Kitayama Kouki. He is a right-handed pitcher. He has won more games than any other pitcher this year. The team hopes he can pitch well today.
The other team is the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. One of their players, Yanagita Yuuki, had neck pain. He did not play in the first game. But now he feels fine. He said he is ready to play anytime.
Two other Hawks players are playing well. Kondou Kensuke got two doubles in the first game. Nomura Yuuki has five hits in ten times at bat this playoff series. Both players are getting a lot of attention.
Vocabulary7 words
- playoffs
- important games after the season to find the champion
- starting lineup
- the list of players who begin the game
- batting order
- the order in which players hit the ball
- pitcher
- the player who throws the ball to the batter
- right-handed
- using the right hand
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
- a baseball team from Fukuoka, Japan
- doubles
- hits where the batter reaches second base
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Quiz
Answer key
1. They will have zero wins and four losses 2. They changed the starting lineup 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are playing an important baseball _____.
They need to _____. If they lose, they will be out of the playoffs.
The team made a big _____. They changed their starting lineup.
A player named Kiyomiya Koutarou will now bat _____.
The _____ for this game is Kitayama Kouki.
He has won more _____ than any other pitcher this year.
One of their players, Yanagita Yuuki, had neck _____.
He said he is ready to play _____.
Kondou Kensuke got two _____ in the first game.
Nomura Yuuki has five hits in ten times at _____ this playoff series.
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