◆ Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes vs. Seibu Lions (21st, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Seibu Lions ・ Kaima Taira pitcher will start in the game against Rakuten Eagles on the 22nd (Tokyo D).

This will be his first appearance on the mound since his last start on the 11th against Hiroshima (at Belluna Dome), with a 10-day break in between. His last appearance at Tokyo Dome was in November of last year during a warm-up game against Taiwan as part of the Samurai Japan team.

Although there was a gap between his appearances, on the 21st he went to bullpen the day before as usual and adjusted his pitching with the intention of "continuing to throw slider, fork, and other pitches that can get strikeouts with a stable rotation."

The right-hand man is known for his love of games, having previously streamed games on YouTube. The FIFA World Cup is currently underway, but he casually remarked, "I haven't actually watched any of the matches."

"Since the World Cup is going on, a few of us have been playing Pro Evolution Soccer," he said, revealing that he's enjoying the excitement from a "typical" angle, such as playing the soccer game "eFootball" (formerly inning Eleven) developed by KONAMI.

Taira has appeared in 10 games so far, recording a stable record of 5 wins and 1 loss with ERA of 0.82.