◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 7-6 Softbank Hawks (15th, ES CON FIELD)

Softbank Hawks In the early stages, 4 inning and runs back-to-back hits proved decisive, bringing his winning streak to an end at three. Ukyo Shuto outfielder became the 49th player in professional baseball history to reach 250 career stolen base.

In the third inning with two outs, he singled to left field and got on base. Then, in Kondo's at-bat, he took off on the second pitch after a ball. "His stance was different from the first time (when he got on base with one out in the first inning). I thought I could do it." Kato Takashi threw an outside breaking ball, and Tamiya also tried to stop him with strike throw, but Shuto's speed was superior.

The speedster, who has won stolen base title four times in the past, said that his success is the result of continuous trial and error, saying, "Every year, I think about different things and make changes." He revealed his mindset on the bases, saying, "I just start normally and go normally. If the start is bad, I can stop, and I think it's good that I can go with the余裕 (leeway/confidence) to try to get a decent start." He then grinned and said that the secret to his success is "my speed." This season he has already recorded the most stolen base in the league with 20, and he plans to continue to add to that number.

At the plate, he also strung together hits: 4 hit 1 RBI. He didn’t force any pulls and demonstrated his high level of skill by hitting three singles to left field. Even so, when he hit an RBI single to center field in the 9th inning with one out and the score at 7–3 bases loaded, he checked his batting form on the basepaths.“I think I was being too greedy—home run—if I’d hit that, it would have tied the game, right? But I’m glad it turned into a hit. I do feel like I want to do a little more to make it happen. I need to change that,” he said, eagerly seeking the best possible result. His evolution shows no signs of stopping.