◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 12-3 Orix Buffaloes (3rd, ES CON FIELD)

Without losing focus, Nippon-Ham pitcher Hiromi Ito (28) pitched a complete six innings. Even when the batters were persistent and runner were on base, he calmly continued to throw with his right arm without changing his expression. He threw 101 pitches over six innings, allowing only four hit and no runs, and strike out five. He earned his first win of the season in his second appearance on the mound, but he modestly reflected, "For people who know the real Hiromi Ito, this pitching might be disappointing, but I was able to pitch tenaciously with the help of Yuya (Tamiya) and the support of the fielders, so that was good."

He returned to Japan from the WBC on March 16th. He rejoined practice on the 17th and pitched in the opening game 10 days later. He gave up 5 runs in the middle of the 6th inning against Softbank Hawks. It was a tough performance, but he felt he had made progress during the 6 days of rest between starts. "I think I'm starting to see some signs of improvement. I'm gradually being able to lift some of the restrictions I had been putting on myself." He has been preparing by listening to his body, even though he is not in perfect condition.

I took the plunge and changed my form. Two-stage motion from the set. When he raised his left leg for the second time, he made a slight twist in the center fielder direction. "I didn't really like it (my left shoulder) because it was fast, so I managed to closer it. I don't really like it, but now it's more timely." Through trial and error, he is getting closer to his original form.

Even after leading his team to win, he admitted that only "about three" of his pitches were perfectly timed. On the victory platform, he sent a message to the fans saying, "I think I'm getting back into good form today," and added, "I think it's important not to chase after the good old days. I'm confident that I have a solid place to return to." He continues to lead the team as the ace pitcher, navigating the challenging path of regaining his form while winning. (Yasushi Yamaguchi)