◇ Orix Buffaloes vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 19th Round (14th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Kota Tatsu pitcher pitched 7 innings with 102 pitches, 4 hit no walks Hit by Pitch 8 strike out 2 runs pitching tenacity.

From the first to the bottom of the fourth, he didn't allow a single runner and scored struck out every inning, delivering a flawless pitch. In the bottom of the fifth, with the leadoff player Ryo Ota doble, he put runner in scoring position but retired the following batters. However, in the bottom of the sixth, with hit and sacrifice bunt by leadoff player Keita Nakagawa, the team put the team with one out and runners on second, and gave up Yuma Mune 's go-ahead ninth two-run homer. Still, just after his teammates tied the game, he retired all three batters in order in the bottom of the seventh inning, and with this inning, he retired from mound.

Although he did not secure a win, he achieved QS in three consecutive matches.

Text by Rihoko Niwa