[Nippon-Ham] Yukiya Saito beats the powerful cleanup hitter of Softbank at 160 km/h, tying his personal best | Pacific League

お立ち台でスタンドのファンの声援に応じた斎藤（カメラ・上村　尚平）

Pacific League Nippon-Ham 4-3 Softbank (22nd, ES CON FIELD)

On the 22nd, Nippon-Ham won the first game of their three-game series against the top-ranked Softbank, 4-3, putting them 2.5 games behind. pitcher Saito (30), pitching as the fourth reliever in the eighth inning, recorded his fastest pitch of 160 km/h and struck out all three of Softbank ‘s powerful cleanup hitters, including Kondo, Yamakawa, and Akira Nakamura. He extended his runs streak to 15 appearances and put an end to the opposing team’s batting momentum.

Even after the game ended, Saito’s excitement hadn’t died down at all. They had defeated the leading Softbank in a comeback. The right-handed pitcher, who was standing on the podium for the first time in an ESCON game, screamed, “We won!” Looking back on mound in the eighth inning, just after taking a one-point lead, when he closer out the opposing cleanup hitters, he said, “I was so numb… To be honest, I’m still numb.” They had shaken off the champions and closed the gap to just 2.5 games.

His proud fastball roared. In the eighth inning, he struck out Kondo, the first batter, with a fastball that reached 160 km/h, tying his personal best. He then struck out Yamakawa and Akira Nakamura, who both grounded out to shortstop and fly out to right field, all with fastballs. He proudly declared, “I was able to take on a strong batting lineup,” but when asked about his pitching speed, he said, “I’m not satisfied at all. I’m just keeping my eye on things. For me, it’s just a passing point.” Even if he didn’t quite understand what he meant, his confidence was clearly conveyed.

It was just as Coach Shinjo predicted. “Before the game, the boss said the score was different, but he told me to imagine it being 2-1 for about the eighth inning. I never thought they would come in with a one-point lead, so I thought, ‘That’s impressive.'” For Saito, who had not been able to fully utilize his potential, he was his mentor. “The boss, along with the coaches, told me to go for it.” He overcame the big game with force, living up to expectations and being selected.

Ever since he was a child, he admired pitcher with fast balls. “Like Ohtani, I want to be a player who can give dreams to children, who can tell them, ‘The Fighters have Saito.'” This marks his 15th consecutive scoreless runs. Last season, Manager Shinjo nicknamed him “Saikou Yukiya” after his “self-inflicted” performance that allowed him to get out of a bases-loaded, no-bases loaded. He will continue to pitch runs with overwhelming power, and will express his true best on mound. (Yamaguchi Yasushi)