◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles 1-6 Softbank Hawks (August 1st, Rakuten Eagles Mobile)

Softbank Hawks 's new foreign pitcher, Xu Hsu Jo-Hsi, started the game and strike out six innings, allowing only three hit and no runs while striking out six. He threw a total of 86 pitches, reaching a top speed of 155 km/h, and earned his first win in his first start and first appearance in Japan.

"This was my first time pitching since coming to Japan, but I was able to trust catcher and throw with confidence. I think the fact that I was able to throw with good control overall led to today's result. There were some mistakes and things I need to reflect on, but I'm glad I was able to pitch well."

The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher, dubbed "Taiwan's treasure," joined The Hawks last December on a massive 3-year, 1.5 billion yen contract, utilizing the overseas transfer system from Wei Chuan Dragons of the Taiwanese professional baseball. He also participated in the WBC Taiwanese national team this spring.

At bat, Yanagida hit a go-ahead two-run home run to right-center field with one out and a runner on first in the third inning. In the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on first, Kondo launched his second two-run home run to left-center field. With both pitching and hitting clicking perfectly, the team achieved their first five-game winning streak to start the season in three years, since 2023.