Aiming for the third time to be the charm, Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) will challenge the Softbank Hawks with a 'giant-killing rotation.' Pitcher Sachiya Yamasaki (34) will start the first game of the CS Final Series beginning on the 14th at Mizuho PayPay Dome. Although he had 0 wins and 1 loss in 7 appearances against them during this year's regular season, he pitched in relief in Game 5 of last year's Final Series—which ended in 3 wins and 4 losses including the advantage—and became the winning pitcher. By placing the experienced left-hander as the spearhead, the team aims to win their way up from third place.

The starting pitcher for the Softbank Hawks is Moinelo. Even before the start of the CS, Manager Shinjo was wary of the formidable opponent, who has been held to an ERA of 1.33 in three games this season, stating, "Even if we put our best pitcher against Moinelo, he is just that amazing at PayPay Dome." In the first game of the first stage against the Seibu Lions, they matched Arihara, who had 7 wins and 9 losses this season, against the opponent's ace Taira, and moved their own ace Ito to the third game. For the final stage, Kitayama, who won the titles for most wins and highest winning percentage with a 13-3 record, is expected to pitch in the second game. By organizing a rotation with an eye on the future, they aim to break through the CS final stage, where they have been eliminated for two consecutive years, despite having a closer.

Yamasaki will break the trend of losing the first game over the past two years. Although he started the season in relief, he posted strong results after returning to the starting rotation in June, going 5-1 with a 2.32 ERA. Despite the team's 5-18-2 record against the Softbank Hawks this season, Yamasaki is determined, saying, 'Short series are a different beast. I will challenge them with everything I have and a challenger's spirit.' Shinjo's Fighters will exhaust every possible strategy to finally get their revenge this year. (Hideto Sunada)