Pacific League Nippon-Ham vs Seibu (15th, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham pitcher Takayuki Kato made his final adjustments on the 15th in preparation for his start against Seibu Lions on the 16th (at Escon Stadium). The left-hander, who earned his fourth win in his last start against Orix Buffaloes on the 9th (at Kyocera Dome) with a strong performance of 8 innings, 3 hit no runs, is now ready to go for his fifth win, which would tie him for the league lead.

Takashi Kato, who has already earned four wins, analyzed his performance, saying, "I've been able to maintain good condition since spring training, and my physical conditioning is also good, so I think that's contributing to my pitching," showing confidence in his current form.

Regarding the in-form Seibu Lions batting lineup, he said, "I think they've gotten stronger, so we need to be very careful about that. It's not just Nevin, so I want to talk to catcher and come up with a plan to deal with each and every player."