Rakuten Eagles pitcher Ryota Takinaka will start in the game against Orix Buffaloes on the 14th (at Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi).

So far this season, he has appeared in 11 games, with a record of 4 wins and 3 losses and ERA 2.10. This will be his first appearance on mound since the game against Lotte on July 1st (in Koriyama). Although there has been a gap between appearances, he confidently stated, "I haven't made any major changes. I've adjusted so that I can pitch as usual."

He has faced Orix Buffaloes twice this season. "A team we don't want to put in. We want to take care of multiple runs in one inning. There are batters who can hit single-hitting balls, and we want to avoid getting involved in a large number of runs," he warned.

Chunichi, a former teammate of Wakui, recorded his first win of the season on the 11th win. He secured his 22nd consecutive win. Takinaka, who has been training on his own with the veteran right-hander, said“He’s in a league of his own. He was throwing around 149 (kilometers per hour), and just looking at the fact that he’s won win for 22 consecutive years shows what an incredible player he is. It’s not that I’m aiming to reach that level, but there’s so much I can learn from him, so I’m always studying his approach,” he said with admiration. Using his great senior’s pitch as motivation, he continues to rack up wins.