Nippon-Ham pitcher Hiromi Ito (28) won his pitching duel against Softbank Hawks Livan Moinelo on the 17th, vowing to keep their hopes of a come-from-behind championship alive. Starting on the 18th, they will face first-place Softbank Hawks, who are 7.5 games behind, in a three-game series at Escon Stadium. The right-hander, who will start the first game, said with fighting spirit, "I want to change the momentum, so I want to pitch in a way that leads to a win."

extra inning This is his first showdown with Moinelo this season. Last season, he went 2-3 in their six matchups. In their August 24 game (at Escon), he pitched 9 innings, throwing 129 pitches—a runs—and forced Naramura to walk-off in the 10th inning. “It was a lot of fun last year, too. I’d love to have another pitching duel like that, but it doesn’t have to be here specifically, does it? (laughs).” With a wry smile, he added, “I think a win there would really get the team going,” making it clear he cannot afford to lose this showdown between aces.

He hasn't recorded a win in seven consecutive games since his eighth victory against Softbank Hawks on June 19th (at Escon Stadium), but he has recorded high-quality starts (seven innings or more with two or fewer earned runs) in his last two games. "I feel really good. We can't be number one unless we beat The Hawks, so winning all the remaining games is essential." He will show his determination in the remaining eight direct confrontations and put a stop to the absolute champions' runaway victory. (Haruki Kawakami)