2026 PERSOL Climax Series Pacific League First Stage Game 2: Seibu Lions 0-1 Nippon-Ham (11th, Belluna Dome)

He refused to let them step on home plate no matter what. Nippon-Ham pitcher Kota Tatsu (22) retired Ishii on a line drive to first base with two outs and runners on first and second in the sixth inning while leading 1-0, and tapped his glove twice with his right hand. Entrusted with the start for Game 2 of the CS First Stage, where a loss would mean elimination, he threw 89 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 3 hits with 7 strike outs and no runs. Earning his first win in his third career CS appearance, he said, 'I thought only about winning no matter what happened. Since I couldn't win much during the regular season, I hope this counts for about three wins.' This season, he finished with only 5 wins despite a 2.96 ERA. He channeled his frustrations from the season into this performance.

With a fastball reaching a top speed of 154 km/h and his fork as his main weapons, he held the Lions' lineup to just one hit through four innings. In the fifth inning, his own bad throw on a pickoff attempt to first base created a crisis with a runner on second and no outs, but he said, 'Since the Boss told me before the game to just have fun pitching, I was just pitching normally and enjoying myself.' This change in mindset, exactly as Manager Shinjo had suggested, paid off.

The difficult days have helped him grow significantly. In his fifth season, he made the opening rotation for the first time, but by May he was removed from the roster with a record of 2 wins and 6 losses. Failing to produce results, he was ordered to be reassigned as a reliever. While he was happy that the manager expected him to recover, he felt frustrated deep down. During his time as a reliever, he called CBO Kuriyama and Acting GM Kida almost every day to express his commitment to being a starter. He also arranged meetings with the manager to frankly convey his feelings. As a reliever, he recorded an impressive ERA of 0.75 over 10 games, and he returned to the starting rotation in the second half of the season. His goal is to become a pitcher who succeeds on the world stage. His high ambitions are the driving force for the right-hander.

Manager Shinjo gave the highest praise to the hero of the 1-0 win, saying, "The biggest factor was that Tatsu-kun pitched without leaving the mound in the early innings." If they make a comeback breakthrough, they will clash with the champions, the Softbank Hawks. Last season, he started the first and sixth games of the final stage, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) in a total of 11 2/3 innings, but the team lost both games. "I don't really have an image of being hit hard in the CS," Tatsu said. The reliable 22-year-old will lead the team to the Japan Series title. (Haruki Kawakami)