◆ Pacific League Orix Buffaloes 7-1 Seibu Lions (16th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Naruki Teranishi (23) smiled broadly. "I was able to pitch carefully. I feel relieved." He earned his first win of the season with 6 innings runs, 1 earned run, and 4 strike out. He recovered well from being knocked out of the game against Nippon-Ham on the 3rd (at Escon) after giving up 6 runs in the middle of the 4th inning, throwing just 75 pitches to secure his first win in 259 days.

In his first year, 2025, win after his second win on July 31 against Seibu Lions (at Kyocera Dome). In a minor league game in September, he was given a stern talking-to by then-minor league manager Haru (now first-team head coach). "Pitch properly! fielder are working hard to defend you. Whether you get hit or not, you have to take responsibility." This was a criticism of his poor performance and the self-centered attitude he had been showing. He shed tears of frustration, but he learned the fighting spirit he needed to embody on mound that day.

The team has climbed to second place with their second three-game sweep against the same opponent this season. Teranishi, who is looking ahead with no doubts, said, "I want to maintain my place in the rotation for the whole year and contribute to winning the championship as much as I can." (Shunta Nanbu)

B Haru, the first-team head coach, said of Teranishi: "Last year, I told him in the farm team, 'Don't play baseball just for your own satisfaction.' In that respect, the fact that he's pitching well in the first team shows he's grown. I think he's moved up a level."