◇Orix Buffaloes vs Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Round 25 (26th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Nobuyoshi Yamada, who had announced his retirement at the end of this season, took the mound for the final time in his active career.

He came on as the second pitcher in the top of the 9th inning to face Yuya Gunji. After getting ahead with two strikes in three pitches, he induced a fly out to center field on the sixth pitch, a fastball, with a 1-2 count. He recorded one out in a battle consisting entirely of fastballs before leaving the mound. He shook hands with the infielders gathered at the mound and manager Mamoru Kishida, returning to the bench amidst applause from the entire stadium.

Yamada joined the Orix Buffaloes as a third-round draft pick in 2009 from Tsuruga Kehi High School. He made his professional debut and first start in his rookie year and continued to pitch as a starter thereafter, but he fully converted to a reliever in 2018, recording 18 appearances in August, tying the NPB record for the most in a single month.

After appearing in 40 games for three consecutive years starting in 2019, he achieved his first 50-game season in 2024, posting an excellent ERA of 2.08. As a valuable left-handed reliever, he supported the bullpen for many years.

◇Nobuyoshi Yamada Career Stats
329 games, 14 wins, 24 losses, 78 holds, 372.2 innings pitched, 336 strike outs, 3.27 ERA

◇Nobuyoshi Yamada Records
First appearance/First start: September 5, 2010 vs Fukuoka Softbank
First win: July 27, 2016 vs Chiba Lotte Marines
First hold: August 4, 2018 vs Fukuoka Softbank

Text by Aoi Nishijima