◆ Pacific League Seibu Lions 5-1 Orix Buffaloes (August 2nd, Belluna Dome)

Standing at 201 cm, Seibu Lions Wingenter thrust his right fist even higher. With a two-run lead in the eighth inning, two outs and runners on first and second. He struck Ota struck out at 142 km/h slider. 1 inning 1 hit no runs. From his first appearance of the season on June 11 against Hiroshima (Belluna D), he marked a new professional baseball record, tying the Pacific League record with 18 consecutive hold games.

He's a foreign player overflowing with team spirit. After the game, he took a commemorative photo with reliever pitchers who were in the dugout, all smiles on his face. "I'm really lucky to be playing with such great teammates. It's so much fun to see their faces every day at practice," he said, gushing about his love for the relief pitchers. Towards the end of last season, his first year in Japan, he showed his strong affection by presenting all reliever pitchers with shoes, saying, "They accepted me and have been so friendly with me all year, so I wanted to express my gratitude somehow."

He has a record of pitching in 97 games in the majors, including for the Padres. The right-hander, who has overcome injuries such as right elbow surgery, laughed heartily and said, "If possible, I want to get a hold in every game I pitch." He has maintained a 0.00 ERA with 18 scoreless runs. This incredibly reliable pillar is firmly supporting the team. (Ayami Onaka)

▼L. Wingenter Ties Record for Most Consecutive Games with a Home Run Seibu Lions 's Trey Wingenter pitcher (32) recorded his 18th consecutive game with a home run hold on the 2nd in the game against Orix Buffaloes (Beruna D). This ties the professional baseball record for the most consecutive games with a home run hold set last year by Oikawa (Kobe), and also sets a new record Pacific League.