◆Pacific League: Rakuten Eagles vs. Orix Buffaloes (1st, Akita)

It was announced through the probable starters that Orix Buffaloes pitcher Sho Iwasaki will start for the first time in 10 years in the game against the Rakuten Eagles on the 2nd (Morioka). To help with the shortage of starters, he is scheduled to pitch 2 innings as the first pitcher on a bullpen day. Regarding his first start since the game against Lotte on August 28, 2016, during his time with the Softbank Hawks (Yahoo Auctions Dome), he emphasized his relaxed approach, saying, 'I think the freshness will only be there before I stand on the mound. I have almost no awareness of being a starter, so I will just pitch the innings I am told to.'

In his 19th professional season, he was first promoted on June 2nd and removed from the active roster on July 17th. In the 3 innings he pitched while on the farm team, he handled multiple innings in every appearance, nodding as he said, 'I thought it would be better to be able to fulfill that kind of role, so I worked on it on the farm. Now I just have to show it.' Since being promoted again on August 18th, he has allowed zero runs over 1 inning in each of his last two games. 'I saw signs that my feel for the game is improving, so I want to make sure I can properly face each hitter,' he said with determination.

Regarding his appearance on the mound in Morioka, he visualized it saying, "I am nothing but excited." He promised, "There will be both Rakuten Eagles fans and The Buffaloes fans there. I hope we can play a great game in a regional setting, which doesn't happen very often."