◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 3-0 Lotte (August 2nd, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham Kohei Arihara pitcher (33) held the mound until the end. With 100 pitches over 9 innings and 3 hit no walk, it was his first shutout game win in about a year since the game against Nippon-Ham on July 1 last season (Tokyo Dome). He marked his third win with his first shutout game at ESCON, saying, "I'm really happy that we were able to pitch until the end and the team won." The roof was open, and the temperature was 24 degrees. Under the blue sky over the northern land, he showed a bright smile.

He kept the batters guessing with his diverse pitches. He threw a fastball reaching 150 km/h, along with cutter and change-up, strike out. "I was able to throw cutter well when they were expecting change-up." He only had two three-ball counts. His dominant pitch, preventing any runners from reaching second base, proved his ability to win the most games for the second consecutive year.

He made a comeback after a period of struggle. This season, he returned to his former team after six years, and although he made the opening day rotation, he had a record of 1 win and 4 losses with ERA of 8.23 by April, and was removed from the roster on April 27th. In the minor leagues, he used a motion analysis system called "Sports Biomechanics" to quantify his entire pitch motion and focused on improving the quality of his fastball. He also spent his days off training in the weight room. He started from scratch, focusing on his body, such as shortening the intervals between pole runs to raise his heart rate, and said, "I've increased the amount I run, and there are a lot of basic things to work on. I want to be able to move my body properly." He prepared for the coming days without wasting a single day.

Manager Shinjo was ecstatic, exclaiming, "Yes! I've been waiting since March!" He was just one pitch short of achieving a Maddux (shutout game with under 100 pitches in nine innings), but he suggested, "I want him to change the name. Alix. If he keeps finishing in the 80-pitch range from here on out, I think it'll become an Alix, so I want him to make that happen." He proposed a new name that surpasses Maddux and praised it highly. "We just have to make up for it from here," said Arihara. The seasoned player with number 74 will lead the team in a dramatic comeback victory. (Haruki Kawakami)