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

Lotte Marines pitcher Naoya Masuda (36) took the mound in the 9th inning of the game against Seibu Lions (at ZOZO Marine Stadium) with the score 5-3, and earned his second save of the season with no hit and no runs allowed, becoming only the fifth player in history to reach 250 career saves. This remarkable achievement comes after a slump last season and a significant decrease in save opportunities this season, and he has also secured his induction into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

The deafening cheers spurred Masuda on. With two outs in the ninth inning, he threw a 151 km/h fastball reminiscent of his prime, striking out Kish with a fly ball to right field, and tears welled up in his eyes. The right-hander, who had been told by manager Saburo before the game that he would pitch if there was a save opportunity, said with a gentle expression, "I'm relieved now. The cheers shifted me into a higher gear. I really wanted to achieve this at ZOZO Marine Stadium." When asked about the most memorable game, he said, "There are many games where I made mistakes, but I'll never forget the scene in the ninth inning today," imprinting the scene of the stadium filled with joy in his mind.

He achieved induction into the Meikyukai (Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame) through a self-made baseball career. After entering Kansai International University, he switched to pitcher and was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, the lowest position for his team. Through his competitive spirit and rigorous training, he established himself as a reliever. He won the most saves title in 2013 and 2021. Utilizing his refined fastball and breaking ball such as sinker, he made a name for himself as one of the league's top relief pitcher.

However, last season, his chances of reaching 250 saves were in jeopardy. He went into the season needing 7 more saves, thinking, "If things go well, I can achieve it in April," but his performance was not up to par. He suffered a fractured left hand and other injuries, and finished with a record of 1 win, 4 losses, 5 ERA of 4.35. Last fall, immediately after manager Saburo took over, he made the unusual decision for a veteran to participate in training camp. He worked hard alongside the younger players. He took no days off during the offseason and "reduced his golf game by about 30 rounds." As a result of this intense training, he regained his pitching power, saying that at the moment he released the ball from his right fingertips, "I could hear a 'whoosh' sound that was so different from my own." He started his 15th season needing just 2 more saves.

He reached the milestone in front of manager Saburo, who was the first to Orix Buffaloes him when he failed to make a save in his younger days, telling him, "fielder are always watching your back. Don't show them a weak back! Don't hang your head and go home even if you get hit! You're pitching there (closer) as a representative of the team, so do it with pride!" and sometimes even making him cry.

It took him 795 games. That's how many times he battled pressure. "The closer's job is to carry the weight of the starting pitchers' good performances and reliever' efforts. I'm proud to have been able to do that 250 times." Yokoyama is currently the team's closer this season, but he can't afford to lose. "I have to keep working hard so I can continue playing professionally for a while longer." The legend, who has made a remarkable comeback, will continue to rack up saves in the future.