Orix Buffaloes pitcher Alen Kuri (34) vowed on the 13th to maintain his composure and give his all. He will start against Rakuten Eagles on the 14th (Rakuten Eagles Mobile) with only five days of rest, after the game against Softbank Hawks on the 8th (Kyocera Dome Osaka). He is showing his determination to alleviate the team's shortage of starting pitchers and aims to make a strong finish to the first half of the season.

"I want to do what I always do, to pitch as many inning as possible and build on that." With ace Miyagi and Yamashita absent from the starting rotation, Jerry and Tajima are also off the roster, and on the 15th, Katayama, who has been a relief pitcher, is scheduled to make his first start of the season. Understanding the difficult situation in the pitching staff, he told the coaching staff, "I'll pitch wherever needed."

So far, he has pitched 95 inning in 15 games, placing him third in the Pacific League and leading the team. Even during the summer months, when stamina is likely to be further depleted, he says, "I don't feel like I'm accumulating fatigue. As long as I get some sun, I'll be fine," and seems to have no problems at all. Last year, he pitched twice with five days' rest between starts, and this season he has already experienced one game with four days' rest. The veteran right-hander's toughness will likely be relied upon during the nine-game stretch starting with Nippon-Ham game on the 18th (Kyocera Dome Osaka).

Orix Buffaloes 's Katayama (who has appeared in 13 games this season, his second year, all as a reliever, and is scheduled to make his second professional start against Rakuten Eagles on the 15th) said, "Whether I pitch in the first inning or in the eighth inning when we're losing, what I have to do is the same. I just throw my own pitches. One hitter, one pitch. It's a really simple feeling."