◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 2-6 Softbank Hawks (16th, ES CON FIELD)

Softbank Hawks 's Kamichatani savored a particularly special win. He pitched six innings, allowing only two runs and strike out nine. His hard work paid off as his team took the lead in the seventh inning. This was his first start since transferring from DeNA in the 2024 offseason draft, and his first win as a starter in 1406 days, since his game Hanshin Tigers on September 9, 2022 (Yokohama). "That's an incredible number of days. I could have gone to college for a year," he joked with a smile.

This season, he has appeared in 26 games as a relief pitcher, recording 4 wins and ERA 2.12. In addition to his reliever performance, his cheerful personality and sharp speaking skills are also his strengths. Hikaru Kimura also "testified" that "Kamicha (Kamichatani) is usually at the center of conversations." He is always a ray of light for bullpen. On this day, however, he stood on a pristine mound and outpitched Ito.

The team has reached a 10-game lead (12 wins, 2 losses) against Nippon-Ham Fighters, putting them on the verge of winning the series. Manager Kokubo welcomed the competition for the newly emerged right-handed pitcher, calling him "very important." In his eighth year as a professional, he continues to flourish wherever he is planted. (Tosei Moriguchi)