◇ Orix Buffaloes vs Saitama Seibu Lions 12th Round (21st, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

​Alen Kuri pitcher of Orix Buffaloes became the 186th player in history to reach 1,500 career innings pitched in NPB.

In his previous appearance on the 14th, against Hanshin Tigers, he pitched five innings and was close to two outs before reaching the pitcher. In the opening inning, he struck out the leadoff hitter Masayuki Kuwahara to fly out to left. Following that, Natsuo Takizawa and Shinya Hasegawa players were eliminated for two consecutive struck out before returning to the bench, where they received a commemorative board from Yutaro Sugimoto, who was of the same generation.

He boasts one of the toughest players in the baseball world, having achieved over 100 innings pitched in seasons for nine consecutive years. He has already pitched 75 inning this season, and his iron skills and reliability make him a dominant presence in the starting rotation.

◇ Records of Kuri pitcher innings pitched
First appearance: March 29, 2014, against Chunichi
1000 innings pitched May 17, 2023 vs. Yokohama DeNA

Written by Yui Kayama