◆ Pacific League: Rakuten Eagles 4-0 Orix Buffaloes (2nd, Morioka)

Rakuten Eagles pitcher Kosei Shoji started the game against the Orix Buffaloes, earning his seventh win of the season after pitching eight innings with seven hits, zero runs, and 11 strike outs. He reflected on the performance, saying, "I focused on continuing to throw good pitches and approached the game determined not to let my spirit be broken."

In the first inning, he faced a crisis with a runner on second and one out, but he remained unfazed. He struck out Kurebayashi and Ota in succession to start the game with zero runs. Even after that, he continued to pitch tenaciously while allowing runners on base. With a combination of fastballs exceeding 150 km/h and splitters, he recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts. 'I believe striking batters out is my strength, so I am very happy to have achieved a career-high,' he said with a lively voice.

With 141 strike outs, he rose to the top of the league. Looking ahead to the next game, he said, 'I definitely want to aim for the title. I hope to keep this momentum going in the next one.'