Softbank Hawks pitcher Ryosuke Otsu vowed on the 8th to shut down the Tigers' powerful offense. He practiced pitcher at Mizuho PayPay Stadium that day. The right-hander, who is scheduled to start against Hanshin Tigers Tigers on the 9th (at Mizuho PayPay Stadium), said in a relaxed manner, "At worst, I'll give up two runs in seven innings. I hope I can just control the game."

In his last start on the 2nd against Chunichi (Vantelin Dome), he recorded his first professional complete game shutout game, earning his league-leading sixth win of the season. Last week, which began with Otsu's brilliant pitching, saw the team go 5-1. As a result, there were two extra inning games that lasted over four and a half hours, making it a crucial complete game for reliever pitchers as well. Otsu himself reaffirmed his belief, saying, "Watching the six-game series (last week), I realized again how important it is to be the first pitcher in a series, and I want to fulfill my role as a starter so that reliever pitchers can perform well with as much energy as possible." Currently, the team is in first place in the interleague series, one game ahead of second-place Seibu Lions. He will take the lead and set the tone for the six-game home series against Hanshin Tigers and Yakult, where the championship is at stake.

This will be the first time he's faced Hanshin Tigers Tigers' lineup since last season's Japan Series. He made his first start of the series in Game 4, pitching well with 5 innings, 3 hit and no runs allowed. However, he said, "I was so focused that I don't clearly remember how I got them out... So, I want to approach this again with the same mindset as the first time and carefully review the data."