It was revealed on the 8th that third-place Nippon-Ham will approach the CS First Stage against the Seibu Lions, starting on the 10th at Belluna Dome, with a secret rotation strategy. It has become clear that they will entrust pitcher Kohei Arihara (34) with the start for the first game, followed by pitcher Kota Tatsu (22) for the second game, and pitcher Hiromi Ito (29) for the third game.

For the first game, Arihara, who has 7 wins and 9 losses with a 4.44 ERA this season, will be deployed. Although he was sent down to the minors due to a slump in the first half of the season, he recovered in August with 3 wins, 1 loss, and a 1.80 ERA. In the game against the same opponent at Belluna Dome on September 13, he became the win pitcher after allowing 1 runs in 6 innings, proving he can deliver results even away from home. Manager Shinjo is wary of the opposing pitcher staff, saying, 'The Seibu Lions have many good pitcher. It's Taira-kun for the first game, right? He's incredibly good.' The experienced right-handed pitcher, who boasts a total of 4 wins and 1 loss with a 1.50 ERA across 6 career Climax Series games including his time with the Softbank Hawks, will lead the charge.

The three pitchers went through their final adjustments at Es-Con today. Tatsu, who is scheduled to start the second game, said, 'In short series, teams tend to focus on team batting, so it's easier to see their tendencies and easier for me as a pitcher.' Ito expanded on his vision, saying, 'The most important thing is to be able to do the obvious things as a matter of course.' Shinjo's Ham, challenging the CS for the third consecutive year, will break through the first hurdle with these three reliable pitchers.