He pitched an overwhelming 24-0 pitch, and was instrumental in the team's first league championship and Japan championship.

On September 30, 2025, pitcher Masahiro Tanaka achieved 200 wins in Japan and the United States. pitcher spent the majority of his NPB career with Tohoku Rakuten, where he earned a total of 119 wins over 11 seasons. In 2013, he led the team to a historic record of 24 wins and 0 losses with ERA of 1.27, demonstrating his dominance in leading the team to its first league championship and Japan championship.

This time, we'll be looking at three moments from pitcher 's pitching performances in 2013, the year he dominated the baseball world, that really showed his prowess as pitcher. We'll be looking back at the actual footage of pitch that fully displayed pitcher 's unique ability to step up his game and not allow the opponent to score, all while showing his true worth when the game is in a pinch.

A spirited, bases loaded pitch that overcomes a bases-loaded, runs (June 16, 2013 vs. Hanshin Tigers)

Hanshin Tigers Tanaka pitcher, who came up to start mound in an exchange game with the Yankees, was hit by consecutive hits by Takahiro Arai and Katsuhiko Saka in the top of the second inning, followed by Akito Fujii's infield hit send-off bunt. This put the team in a desperate pinch with no outs bases loaded in the early innings of the game.

However, from this point on, he got the first out by getting Ikuya Araki to struck out get the first out, followed by a sharp hit by Yamato, but got the second out thanks to a good defense by Ginji of first baseman. Finally, he got Tsuyoshi Nishioka to short stop line drive and got out of a big pinch with no outs pitch and no outs bases loaded with a spirited runs. After that, he gave the opposing batting line no chance to take advantage of him, and he finished shutout game win the season with 127 pitches.

He defeated a young Shohei Ohtani in complete game win by one run (September 6, 2013 vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham)

In this match, which started with a throwing match with Shohei Ohtani, who was in his first year as a professional at the time, pitcher Tanaka allowed Mitchell Abreuil, who was also the Home Run king of the same year, to take the lead. In the top of the 4th inning, Kenji Sato's timely hit gave up the second run, but in the bottom of the 5th, Kazuya Fujita's timely hit tied the game, and in the bottom of the 6th, Kazuo Matsui hit a winning Home Run and turned the game around with the excitement of the batting line.

pitcher Tanaka often gave runner in 7 hit 2 Walk, but developed a tenacious pitch that single-handedly screwed hitter with 11 strike out. In the ninth inning, he faced a pinch with two outs and third base and a one-hit tie, but he ended the game by slashing Mr. Sato, who had recorded a timely hit in this game, with a struck out. In the end, he threw to Ohtani in 2 runs complete game win and set a milestone of 20 consecutive wins in the opening game.

A soulful closing performance in a championship-deciding game (September 26, 2013 vs. Saitama Seibu)

If they win, it will be the first league championship since the club's founding, and pitcher Tanaka went up to mound as a closer in the bottom of the ninth inning with a one-run lead. However, when Yuji Onizaki, the leading hitter of the inning, was allowed to infield hit to the second baseman, Esteban Hermann was given a Walk. Haruhiro Kataoka's bunt spread the pinch with 1 out, 2nd and 3rd base, and we faced a situation where we had a one-hit comeback walk-off.

However, pitcher Tanaka quickly moved up from here and developed a dominant pitch in the mound where the championship was at stake. First, he threw a fastball in the strike zone against Takumi Kuriyama three pitches in a row, and missed it without swinging the bat even once, finishing it with a struck out. The following Hideto Asamura player also hit a struck out swing in the fastball of the world, and it became a torso-raising pitcher that stood at the center of the joy.

His impressive pitch, which showed his strength the more difficult the situation, brought immense joy to the City of Trees.

24 wins, 0 losses, 1 save. Tanaka pitcher 's achievement in single-handedly bringing the team a 24-game winning streak and contributing greatly to the team's Japan championship in the postseason is a brilliant achievement in the history of the Tohoku Rakuten baseball team. And the three scenes featured in this article show the true spirit of Tanaka pitcher, who, through his grit pitch, was able to get out of a pinch without allowing the opposing lineup to get another hit.

In his 19th year as a professional, he finally reached the milestone of 200 wins in Japan and the United States. The great career of this right-hander, who has led the team as a starter since his first year out of high school and brought extraordinarily great joy to the City of Trees, will never fade away.

Text by Ryota Mochizuki