[Softbank] Tomohisa Ozeki wins his eighth straight game, his third consecutive double-digit win against Nippon-Ham and is now four points behind the lead. The magic number is 32 on the 14th. | Pacific League

６回、力投する大関友久（カメラ・義村　治子）

Pacific League Softbank 3-1 Nippon-Ham (11th, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank has won three straight games in the battle for first place, widening the gap with second-place Nippon-Ham to four games. Starting pitcher Tomohisa Ozeki (27) gave up one runs in six innings to earn his first 10th win. Arihara and Moinelo were the third consecutive day to have pitcher with double-digit wins. The team also tied its 2005 record with 12 consecutive home wins, the longest for the team since moving to Fukuoka. The team is on track to win the league title for the second time in a row.

With a firm resolve, he was the final player among the three strongest pitchers. Softbank ‘s Ozeki recorded his eighth consecutive win, marking his third consecutive day with double-digit wins, following Arihara on the 9th and Moinelo on the 10th. “There may have been pressure to pitch well, but I was able to focus more on what I wanted to do going forward,” said the sixth-year left-hander, who was raised by the development team. The psychology he has been focusing on since this year proved useful on the important mound.

In the first inning, he was hit by a solo shot by Manami, and the start was never good. But he never panicked. inning In between, he ran a pen in his notebook and had a careful meeting with Minei, who plays the role of his wife. “I was able to narrow down (the pitch theme) more clearly from the 3rd inning,” he said, and the 6th inning was 4 hit 1 runs. He won his first 10th win and took another step forward to his 13 wins & 160 innings pitched (currently 117 2/3 innings), which he professed as his goal for this season.

This marks the first time the team has had a trio of 10 wins since 2018, when Senga, Shu Ishikawa (both 13 wins), and Van den Hurk (10 wins) all achieved this feat. “We created a rotation to suit this situation, and I’m really glad that it led to the best results,” said Manager Kokubo with a smile. Coming into the three-game series against second-place Nippon-Ham Fighters, who were trailing by one game, the team won all three games in a row, allowing just two runs. They dominated with their pitcher power, and by the end of the season, they had a four-game lead.

This is their fourth five-game winning streak this season, and they have an astonishing record of 17 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw in their last 20 games. They also celebrated their longest winning streak of 12 games at their home stadium, Mizuho PayPay, which they tied in 2005 with a streak of 12, celebrating owner Son Masayoshi’s 68th birthday. At the earliest, the magic number of 32 will be lit on the 14th. Imamiya and Kurihara, who are currently out due to injury, could return to the first team as early as this month. It looks like they’ll be accelerating their quest for consecutive league championships. (Shimao Koichiro)