In preparation for the Japan Series starting in Yokohama on the 24th, the Softbank Hawks have made a minor change to their rotation. Swapping the order of the first and second games from the Climax Series Final Stage, which they won in three straight games, they plan to field Uwasawa followed by Moinelo for the Japan Series. Manager Kokubo revealed, "The details aren't finalized yet, so I'll think about it a little more," but it appears he has derived the best possible strategy.

Moinelo, who was entrusted with the first game of the Final Stage against Nippon-Ham on the 14th (Mizuho PayPay), left the mound after giving up 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings. While his recovery will be checked during live BP (live batting practice) on the 21st, winning the first move is crucial in short series. Uwasawa showed a tenacious pitch with 2 runs over 6 innings in the same matchup on the 15th, and his stability is second to none.

These are the two most reliable pillars for the team. Both Uwasawa and Moinelo have good compatibility, with career head-to-head ERAs of 2.16 and 1.25 respectively, which improve even further to 1.38 and 1.13 at Yokohama. It was two years ago that they suffered four consecutive losses after two wins away from home, allowing DeNA to become the champions of Japan. They will not show any openings and will decide it with a straight four-game winning streak.