Seibu Lions Lions pitcher Chihiro Sumida will start the second half of the season against Orix Buffaloes on the 31st at Belluna Dome.

On this day, he participated in the team practice held at their home stadium. The team will start the second half of the season in second place, 5.5 games behind the league leaders, Softbank Hawks. They are in a position to aim for first place for the first time since 2019, and he said with a determined expression, "If we falter in the second half, all the hard work the team put in the first half will be wasted. I think everyone wants to make the second half a good one in order to turn the hard work of the first half into something positive. I feel a sense of responsibility to be entrusted with leading the way in that regard, and I want to pitch with that in mind."

The home games starting on the 31st will feature the large-scale summer event "Aofes 2026". The left-handed pitcher, who has his glove and training shoes all in blue, made reporters laugh with a surprising confession, saying, "I actually like green..." but then added in his unique way, "The Lions are blue, so blue is my second favorite color (laughs). I'll make it a Blue Festival too," vowing to pitch brilliantly in the first game of the event.