Pacific League: Seibu Lions 3-1 Nippon-Ham (25th, Belluna Dome)

Seibu Lions Kaima Taira pitcher (26) started on the 25th in Game Nippon-Ham (Belluna Dome), throwing 105 pitches over 7 innings including a season-best 160 km/h, and with 6 hit no runs and 9 strike out, earning his 10th win (3 losses). ERA finished 1.46, reaching the innings pitched requirement and rising to the top of the league. The lineup consisted of Keisuke Nakata infielder (27), batting ninth and second base, and with three career RBI of starting line-up appearances, he delivered a standout performance with two timely triple and two other RBI in all three , showing great performance with 2 hit and 3 RBI. The gap with leader Softbank Hawks remained 5.5, but with four consecutive wins, they were four games behind third-place Nippon-Ham.

Taira shifted gears in the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, leading by one run. On the first pitch, the 85th pitch of the game against Arison, he threw a season-high 160 km/h. Except for the slider on the fourth pitch, he threw 160 km/h on five pitches and earned a struck out of swinging misses. "I wanted to closer firmly so I wouldn't score in this inning, so I naturally put in more effort. That momentum allowed me to maintain a certain velocity in the next inning (7th inning) (top speed 159 km/h), so I think that was a good thing." He threw 7 innings without runs and secured his 10th win.

Last season, he was the save leader with 31 saves. This season, he converted to a starting pitcher and clocked 160 km/h on his 85th to 90th pitches, a point where fatigue typically sets in. The right-hander, who works hard at weight training every day, said proudly, 'I think the reason I can still generate power even when it gets tough is the result of my training. In weight training, even when I'm exhausted, I make sure to lift at a high speed, so in that sense, I think this is the result of that kind of practice.'

Reaching 160 km/h at Belluna Dome, where temperatures have exceeded 30 degrees Celsius daily and the heat is notably intense even among the home stadiums of the 12 professional teams. Being a native of Ishigaki Island, he remarked, "I feel like my body moves better in the heat, so I think that contributed to the speed I reached today." Regarding the potential to increase his velocity even further, he expressed his ambition, saying, "While I also need to focus on control, I believe the possibility is definitely there."