◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Orix Buffaloes 8-4 Yakult (10th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ryuhei Sotani (25) breathed a sigh of relief. "I was able to think about Kenta Wakatsuki's lead in my head and organize my thoughts before pitching." He built his pitching around his fastball, which reached a top speed of 151 km/h, and pitched a perfect pitch through five innings. Although runs, he threw a career-high 125 pitches. This was his second complete game win, and he secured his fourth win of the season.

He also used his experience on the big stage to help him grow. During the WBC training camp in Miyazaki in February, Darvish (Padres) participated as an advisor. From the legend with 208 wins in his combined career in Japan and the US, he learned how to connect data to his pitch. "Make sure you bring out your strengths. This is the number for this, so you should fix it." In bullpen, he received feedback based on TrackMan data, which allowed him to view his pitches more objectively. It also gave him an opportunity to think more deeply about pitch in a way that increases his chances of getting batters out.

In honor of his hometown of Nara, a banner bearing the name "Ikaruga's Proud Treasure Blade" was completed this season. Even during the New Year's holiday when he returned to his family home, he diligently stretched before and after breakfast. "That was my weakness," he said, reflecting on the two-run homer he gave up to Osuna with two outs in the ninth inning. Leading the team to their first series win in three series, Soya has now won four consecutive interleague games since 2013. The fourth-year professional left-hander is aiming for even greater heights. (Shunta Nanbu)