[Nippon-Ham] Kenta Uehara pitches three straight games, earning two wins and one hold... Bringing the team to a third straight win against Softbank, resulting in a 16th consecutive runs this season | Pacific League

１０回から登板して今季３勝目をマークした上原（カメラ・上村　尚平）

Pacific League Nippon-Ham 1x-0 Softbank = 10 innings extra inning = (24th, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham won the Softbank match (Escon) on the 24th walk-off and won 3 consecutive victories on the same card. He set his savings to 26, the most this season, and was 0.5 behind the leader Softbank. extra inning Kenta Uehara pitcher (31), who took the mound in the 10th inning, allowed runner but survived with no runs, earning his third win of the season with a walk-off win. He pitched 3 consecutive games in 3 consecutive matches that were said to be Tennoyama, 2 wins and 1 hold. The left-hander, who has 16 consecutive runs wins this season, supports bullpen.

With determination, Uehara swung his left arm. In the 10th extra inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, Yamakawa, who had intentional walk for Kondo, came up to bat and Uehara struck out a grounder to third with fork on his first pitch. “I think it was luck. I threw fork right down the middle that didn’t drop much, and he got caught and grounded out to third. I’d like to hand today’s win to (starting pitcher) Taikai Ito,” he said with a gentle smile.

He did a great job in Tennozan. In the first game, he pitched into the 7th inning and got his second win, and in the second game, he came up mound with two outs bases loaded in the 8th inning to struck out slash. In the third game, he picked up his third win, and in this three-game series, he won two games and one hold. “I was prepared for the three-game series,” he said, “but my condition wasn’t really good. I just wasn’t in really good shape.” Still, he made it through with no runs wins, extending his streak of no runs wins to 16 games.

This is a situation he never imagined he would find himself in at the beginning of spring. He was promoted for the first time this season in July. He gradually gained the trust of manager Shinjo and is now at the center of the team’s winning formula. “I had always intended to be promoted to the first team, but I never expected to get this far,” he said. In the race for the championship, he continues to perform beyond even his own imagination.

Manager Shinjo also praised Uehara, saying, “What’s wrong, Uehara? He’s in the zone, just like More (Reyes). This is his third consecutive pitch, and Uehara has the kind of personality that makes it better for him to pitch three in a row. He’s got a strong will. But it’s thrilling.” With closer Yanagawa removed from the roster to refresh himself, the team’s future depends on the left-handed pitcher.

(Yamaguchi Yasushi)