◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 7-1 Orix Buffaloes (22nd, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks ・ Ryosuke Otsu pitcher recorded his 10th win—his first double-digit win total in his fourth pro season. He pitched 8 innings, throwing 108 pitches, with 5 hit 2 Walk 6 strike out and 1 runs in a strong outing. He also reduced the team’s magic number for the championship to 24.

Otsu is often known for his diverse breaking ball, but today was different. "Today, instead of becoming change-up pitcher I went back to basics and relied on my fastball," he said, mainly using fastballs such as his 150 km/h fastball and cutter. With Osuna, who usually handles the seventh inning in the winning pattern, being sent to the farm team for further adjustments, and Sugiyama, who usually handles the ninth inning, missing the game due to a right leg injury sustained during pre-game practice, Otsu pitched all eight innings. At the moment the game ended, he broke into a smile and said, "I was happy, and relieved."

Last season, he achieved four wins from the end of August, but only two wins in the first half of the season. The year before last, he achieved six wins by the end of June, but only managed one win from July onwards. He entered this season with a strong determination to give his all for the entire year.

This season, despite having accumulated nine wins before the All-Star break, he hadn't recorded a victory in his last three games. In the game Seibu Lions on July 25th (Belluna Dome), he collapsed, giving up a season-worst six runs. "Since the interleague games ended, I've been giving up more Home Run, and I've been giving up three or four runs more often. Even if I start well, if I can't become pitcher that can be relied on in the most important situations, I'll only last a year," he said, realizing once again how difficult it is to secure wins.

"This is the first time I'm in a position where I'm going to be on the mound for a year, but I want to do this for many years to come. I've realized that this period is the most important for that," he said, indicating that the difficult times were not in vain. In preparation for this start, he said, "I changed everything about how I spend the last week," and he got a perm and changed the way his hair grows. He tried to change the "flow" starting with small things. He sees his 10th win as just a stepping stone and will continue to throw with all his might as a central figure in the starting rotation.