◇ Orix Buffaloes vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Game 16 (August 18, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham pitcher Haruki Hosono delivered a brilliant performance, pitching seven runs innings.

In the first inning, he gave up Walk but kept the opposing team runs, and continued to pitch steadily from the second inning onward, closer Orix Buffaloes lineup hit through four innings. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he gave up the first hit of the game to the leadoff hit, but then induced a double play play from the next three batters, ultimately ending the inning with just three outs.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, he faced a jam after giving up consecutive hits with one out, but he got out struck out by getting Ryoto Kita to ground out to second base and striking out Kenya Wakatsuki looking. He finished his first appearance since July 4th with 7 Walk pitched, 4 hit 2 strike out and no runs allowed, and left the game with the chance to be win pitcher for the first time in about a month.

Written by Kai Nagi Niwa