◆ Pacific League Orix Buffaloes 6-1 Lotte (May 5th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Sean Hjelle struggled to secure his first victory in Japan and the longest win in both Japan and the US. "I didn't have a single pitch that I would call a Grade A," he confessed after finishing his post-game interview with the kids. He pitched a career-high seven runs innings in his fifth start, and bent his 213cm frame, saying, "It was really tough."

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Jerry's spirit remained unbroken. He started the first four games of the season, achieving a quality start in every game, pitching at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs. Despite his impressive 1.50 ERA, he received only a meager three runs of run support in total. "The season is long, so these things happen," Kuri said kindly, as he had experienced a similar situation in 2024 with Hiroshima, when he lost four of his first seven games of the season.

For their trip to Sapporo in April, the three starting players, including Teranishi, traveled together the day before. They even traveled together from New Chitose Airport. "It'll be cramped," he said, searching for and arranging a jumbo taxi. Teranishi, who is 186 cm tall, sat in the passenger seat, while Kuri, who is 188 cm tall, sat in the back of the three-row seating. "You can sit comfortably," he said, offering Kuri the "seat of honor" behind the driver's seat.

After five attempts, they finally secured their first win. "We all played well, both offensively and defense. I think this is a win we all achieved together. I'm so happy," he said, and it must have been a genuine expression of his feelings. (Toru Nagata)