◆ Pacific League Orix Buffaloes 1-3 Rakuten Eagles (June 6th, Kyocera Dome)

Rakuten Eagles 's pitcher Takayuki Kishi (41) started against Orix Buffaloes and pitched well, allowing only two hit and one runs over seven innings to earn his third win of the season.

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He continued to baffle hitter. Kishi mixed curves with his signature 140 km/h fastballs thrown from his windup, racking up outs at a good tempo. He pitched well, allowing only two hit and one runs in seven innings, earning his third win of the season. This was his 173rd career win, tying him with Masumi Kuwata and others for 39th place all-time. The right-hander, who had joined a great record, savored the victory with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Of course, this wouldn't have been possible on my own, so I want to thank many people. My father always told me to 'learn from Kuwata-san' when I was little, so I think he's probably the happiest of all."

Memories of his childhood come flooding back. Whenever he watched baseball on TV, it was always The Giants game. His father, Koichi, repeatedly told him, "Keep an eye on Kuwata." He began to stare intently at the screen. The beautiful windup, the sharp curveball, the outstanding control, the flawless fielding—he used everything as a model and continued to hold the ball. "I never got any better pickoff, but I think I am where I am today because of that time." The right-handed pitcher's "origin" lies in the days he spent chasing after the legend.

This was Rakuten Eagles 's 70th win with Rakuten. He is only the sixth player to achieve 70 wins with two or more teams. For the team, it was their long-awaited first win in their fifth game of the second half of the season. Manager Yoshii praised the veteran who stopped the team's six-game losing streak, saying, "That was great." "As long as there are people who support us, we want to respond as a united team," number 11. The 41-year-old, showing no signs of slowing down, rescued the team from its predicament with a masterful pitch. (Kota Miyauchi)