◆ Pacific League: Lotte Seibu Lions (August 1st, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Seibu Lions starting pitcher, So Sou Sato, made his professional debut on the 1st, pitching brilliantly for seven innings, allowing only two hit and no runs, and left the game with the potential to be win pitcher.

In the first inning, he got the leadoff batter out with a ground ball to third base, but the next batter, Fujiwara, hit a weak ground ball down the third base line line for an infield hit, allowing him to reach base. However, with one out and a runner on first, he got Teraji to hit into a double play play with a 140 km/h fastball on the inside corner, ending the inning in just 11 pitches.

In the second inning, after taking out Shin Ishikawa with 126 km change-up and Soto with 126 km slider in succession struck out, Inoue turned around and slashed a 142 km straight ball to strike out struck out three consecutive batters, raising a yutaka.

In the third inning, although he led off at 126 km/h change-up and swung struck out, he gave up his first Walk and Hit by Pitch of the day, putting runners on first and second with two outs. However, despite the unexpected incident where paper flew from the Seibu Lions bench into the ground due to strong winds, he was unfazed and escaped by missing Nishikawa with a 141 km/h fastball struck out.

In the fourth inning, he calmly handled the leadoff batter's ground ball to the pitcher, and with two outs, he gave up a single to Soto, but then retired Inoue with a fly ball to center field on the first hit, preventing any runs from scoring, and kept the score at zero from the fifth inning onward.

If he achieves win in his first start, it would be the first time for a player developed through the farm system that a player has achieved this feat since Takeuchi in 2024.

Sou Sato joined Seibu Lions in 2024 as the fourth pick in the developmental draft, after graduating from Sapporo Yamanote High School and Seisa Doto University. In his second year as a professional this season, he completed the first team's training camp in Nango, Miyazaki, but was sent down to the second team midway through the open season. In the farm team, he made five appearances (four of which were starts), recording a stable record of 3 wins and 0 losses with ERA of 1.37.

◇Sato So, born February 9, 2003, in Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido. He did not play Koshien while attending Sapporo Yamanote High School. After attending Seisa Doto University, he joined Seibu Lions in 2024 as the 4th pick in the developmental draft. He was promoted to the main roster on April 30. His name comes from the wish that he would become a "refreshing man." 178 cm, 82 kg. Left-handed pitcher and left-handed batter.