◆ Pacific League Lotte 5-3 Seibu Lions (April 4th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Lotte Marines pitcher Naoya Masuda (36) recorded his second save of the season, becoming only the fifth player in history to reach 250 career saves. He has also become the first pitcher born in the Heisei era to qualify for induction into the Meikyukai (Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame).

He had achieved all of his milestones—100 saves, 150 saves, and 200 saves—in away games. When asked after the game about achieving these milestones at his home stadium, he savored the moment, saying, "I've been pitching for the fans. I'm so happy to have achieved this in front of so many fans."

He took mound in the ninth inning with a two-run lead. "The thought of the record crossed my mind for a moment. I closer it and closer pitching," he recalled. He said he had told his teammates, "I'm going to do my best to pitch well and clinch the record today." He closed out the game as promised and showed a relieved smile.

He joined the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2011 as the fourth overall pick in the draft. In his 795th professional game, he reached 250 career saves. Four players have achieved this milestone before, but Hirano (Orix Buffaloes) was the "most" to reach it, taking 699 games. He reached this major milestone after playing the most games. "It took a while, but I'm glad I was able to do it today," he said.