◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles Rakuten vs. Orix Buffaloes (15th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Hiroshi is scheduled to make his first start of the season in the game against Rakuten Eagles on the 16th (Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi). This season, his third year since joining the team from Chunichi Dragons through the active player draft, he has appeared in 15 games, all as a reliever. He has been performing well, mainly as a firefighter and long reliever, with ERA of 0.72.

He practiced pitch in bullpen on the 14th, and on this day he did some catch practice to fine-tune his game. "I'm confident in my pitching stamina, so it's just a matter of how the game goes. I think I'll go as far as I can," he said confidently.

This will be his first start in two years, since the game against Seibu Lions on May 26, 2024 (Belluna Dome). "It's been a while since I've been able to start, so I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself. I just hope I can enjoy it," he said, indicating his intention to approach the game with a calm mind.