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

He shifted gears. Seibu Lions Kaima Taira pitcher (26) delivered a stunning pitch in the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, leading by one run. Facing Arison, he hit the fastest pitch of the season on the 85th pitch, the fastest of the season. Of the six pitches, five other than slider swung at 160 km/h and missed struck out, allowing him to get through the runs without a . "I wanted to closer properly so I wouldn't give up runs in this inning, so I naturally put in more effort." With seven scoreless innings and runs, he secured his 10th win.

He pitched against Ito, who had fought alongside him at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Even as aces clashed in pride, he said, "I felt I was determined to win." He was in the seventh inning with two outs and runners on first and second, but struck out swung and missed Narama at 159 km/h. He reached the innings pitched requirement, and with a ERA 1.46 record, he rose to the league's sole leader. Last season, he was the saves leader, and this season he returned to being a starter. He showed no signs of a break from moving to relief midway through 2024, and his double-digit win since 2023. He said, "I was lucky in part too," but against third-place Nippon-Ham, he appeared in five games this season and went undefeated in four games. Looking ahead, they showed great compatibility, widening the gap to 4.

It was also a game that showcased the team strength of the Seibu Lions. Kuwahara, An-Ko Lin, and Watanabe, who had been sidelined by injuries, returned and were immediately named to the starting lineup. While the team's strength was being restored, it was the dark horse Nakada—who had only 3 RBIs in 102 career professional games before the match—who drove in 3 RBIs. Amidst a series of absences at second baseman including Takizawa, Ishii, and Tonosaki, he drove in all 3 RBIs with two timely triples, and on the hero's podium, he shed tears, saying, "I worked desperately hard to seize the opportunity with my baseball life on the line."

With 26 games remaining, they are 5.5 games behind the Softbank Hawks. The team is on a roll, having won 10 of their last 13 games and currently on a four-game winning streak. Manager Nishiguchi praised the ace's powerful performance, saying, "It was a magnificent display of pitching. He is truly reliable." A massive come-from-behind championship in the final stretch—they haven't given up yet. (Kota Ando)