◆ Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes vs. Nippon-Ham (15th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ryuhei Sotani has been scheduled to start in the game against Nippon-Ham on the 16th (Kyocera Dome Osaka). His condition has recovered, and in his first appearance in the first team in two months against Lotte on the 8th (at ZOZO Marine Stadium), he gave up 5 hit and 4 runs in 5 innings, resulting in his 4th loss (4 wins). "I felt the joy of being able to pitch in the first team for the first time in a long time. There are many players who are not able to pitch, so I am truly grateful to be able to pitch on a stage like that, and I want to express my gratitude for that," he reaffirmed.

The team will face the third-place Nippon-Ham who are in contention for a spot in the Climax Series. "Above all, I want to focus on my pitch, but also on winning. My body is fine, so I want to go all out and pitch my best for as long as I can," he said, showing his fighting spirit. The opposing lineup is full of players with power hitting as their weapon. Aiming for his fifth win since the game against Yakult Swallows on June 10th (Kyocera Dome Osaka), he said cautiously, "I really want to avoid a home run from Reyes. Even if there are runner on base, I want to concentrate on each one and do my best to get the out."

In the first game of the series on the 14th, they came from behind to win thanks to two Home Run by So. "The players' eyes have changed, and I think there is still a chance to climb standings, so we want to take each game seriously," he said, speaking on behalf of the team. As for the relief pitchers, Mukunoki, who had the most hold in the league with 28 so far, is absent due to an upper body injury. "The role of a starting pitcher is really to pitch as many inning as possible. In a tough situation (for the relievers), being able to pitch as many inning as possible will save the team," he emphasized.