◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 0-3 Seibu Lions (12th, Mizuho PayPay Stadium)

Seibu Lions pitcher Yutaro Watanabe earned his second win of the season on the 12th, pitching 6 2/3 innings, allowing only 8 hit, and his first runs pitch of the season. His personal losing streak against Softbank Hawks Hawks also came to an end at five games, and he beamed, saying, "I'm really happy. I'm happiest because the team won."

It was a victory that he had finally achieved after a long struggle. A week earlier, from May 4th to 10th, six games were played at Belluna Dome. While the team had significantly increased its lead with 5 wins and 1 loss, the only loss was against Softbank Hawks on the 5th, in which he was the starting pitcher. Six days later, it was time for a rematch. "Today, I went to mound with a strong determination to not give up any runs no matter what," he said, burning with a desire for revenge.

"Coach Toyoda also told me, 'Go ahead from the very first inning,' so I pitched with a base from the start," he said. With one out and runners on first and second, he retired Kurihara to center and Yamakawa to swing and struck out. He carried runner every inning up to the fourth inning, but in the fifth inning, a good defensive team helped him retire in order of three for the first closer time. He steadily accumulated outs afterward, but was taken out after giving up a Walk with two outs in the seventh inning. The second batter, Hayato Sato, retired Shuto to shortstop.

Manager Nishiguchi also praised him, saying, "Yutaro got his revenge from last week, so that was good. I could really feel his fighting spirit on mound today, and that was the best thing about him, his aggressive attitude." The right-hander said of his first win against Softbank Hawks in two years since September 6, 2012, "I had a slight feeling of being inferior to them, but I went in with a strong determination not to lose. I want to get even better." With renewed determination, he will shift into an even higher gear from here on out.