◆ Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes vs. Nippon-Ham (9th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)
Nippon-Ham 's starting pitcher, Takayuki Kato is on pace for his second career Maddux-style complete game shutout game (pitching under 100 pitches). He has thrown 51 pitches and allowed no runs through five innings. Aside from a single to Kida in the second inning, he has completely shut down Orix Buffaloes lineup.
The 33-year-old skilled left-handed pitcher had previously achieved a shutout game win on April 19, 2022, against Rakuten Eagles (Rakuten Eagles Seimei Park Miyagi), throwing 90 hit over 9 innings and allowing only 3 hits. If he achieves this feat again, it will be his second time. At the time, manager Shinjo had nicknamed him "Kadox," a play on his name.
This season, Hiroshima's Kuribayashi achieved this feat on March 29th, and if Kato Takashi does, it will be the first Pacific League this season. For the team, it would be the first since Ruei-Yang Gu Lin last season.
![[Video] Angels descend: AKB48's Kawamura Yui & Hanada Aoi perform the Fox Dance](https://hochi.news/images/2026/04/17/20260417-OHT1I51404-L.jpg)
![[Scoreboard] Orix Buffaloes vs. Nippon-Ham](/asset/img/news/source/logo_hochi.png){kind=logo}
![[Nippon-Ham] Manager Shinjo, who will be fielding the same starting line-up for the first time this season for three consecutive games, said before the training camp, "We'll have competition for the first month (from the start of the season). After that, we'll solidify the lineup."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/05/09/20260509-OHT1I51209-L.jpg)
![[Nippon-Ham] Kota Tatsu, in his fifth year as a pro, has identified new challenges: He suffered his third loss after giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. "I need to find a way to overcome this."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/05/08/20260508-OHT1I51559-L.jpg)
![[Nippon-Ham] Manager Shinjo: "What? What's so strong about Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome?" He lamented the seven-game losing streak against Orix on the road for the first time in 26 years, saying, "I wonder if the flow would change if the teams batting first and second were switched."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/05/08/20260508-OHT1I51514-L.jpg)
