Seibu Lions ・ Kaima Taira pitcher (26) aims for “complete game” at the very stadium where he won the “Fighting Spirit” Award. He made his final preparations on the 17th at Belluna D ahead of his start on the 18th against Orix Buffaloes (Tokyo D). This will be his first appearance at Tokyo Dome since Game 1 of the All-Star Series on July 28.In that game, he entered in the third inning with the score tied and pitched two scoreless innings hit, three strike out, and one runs, finishing with win pitcher—a lucky venue where he earned the Fighting Spirit Award.

The right-handed pitcher's bewildered expression when he was told he had won the award became a hot topic on social media, but he revealed that the truth was that he had simply been told, "You've won the Fighting Spirit Award," without knowing anything, and that he had misunderstood, thinking, "Is it from China? Guangdong Province?" which drew laughter from the crowd. "I think it's a competition to see how far I can go with 100 pitches. I want to finish it as quickly as possible. And as long as possible, yes," he said, indicating his intention to conserve energy and stay on mound pitch the very end.