[Nippon-Ham] Yukiya Saito shut out the first inning with a personal best of 161 km/h. What dreams does he want to share with his second-grade son? | Pacific League

[Nippon-Ham] Yukiya Saito shut out the first inning with a personal best of 161 km/h. What dream does he want to share with his second-grade son?

Sports Hochi

2025.9.14(日) 05:05

４番手で登板した斎藤友貴哉は３者凡退に抑えた（カメラ・池内　雅彦）

Pacific League Nippon-Ham 5-4 Seibu = 11 innings extra inning = (13th, Escon)

Nippon-Ham won the Seibu match (Escon) that was entangled up to extra inning on the 13th with a walk-off, reaching 75 wins, which is the same as last season. Yukiya Saito pitcher (30), who took the mound in 4th place, shot 161 km, breaking his personal best by 1 km. He took the struck out with a 150-kilogram splitter and closer the 1 inning to a three-way retirement. While the guardian deity, Yanagawa, left due to a back injury, he vowed to closer for the team in the championship race without being runs to the position.

Saito, who was full of spirit, swung his right arm vigorously. When “161” appears on the scoreboard, the stands buzz. In the 8th inning, on the 4th pitch to Takizawa in the lead, he marked 161 km, breaking his personal fastest speed. When he finished Takizawa with a struck out of 150 kg splitter, he fired three consecutive shots of 161 kg to Sotozaki. At the end, he hit it with a straight 161 km. 1 inning is a three-way retirement. “There are fans who can only be conveyed through numbers, and that’s what I am good at,” he said.

In his last appearance on the mound on the 7th against Orix (Kyocera Dome), runs for the first time in 22 games. Although he was losing pitcher, he was in perfect condition with only five days of rest. When asked why he threw his fastest pitch, he said, “I was itching to pitch because I got beaten last time. There was a long gap between games, and with training included… I honestly don’t know (laughs). I wanted to say something good, but it was impossible.” This was a game he couldn’t afford to lose. With determination, he pushed past his limits.

What he wants to convey is “dreams.” When he gets home, he enjoys catch with his son, who is in the second grade of elementary school. “He’s really stimulating,” he says. That’s why he’s so focused on speed. “I want to keep my speed up, and aim for 160 km/h. I think I can reach children all over the country, so I want to give them dreams.” 161 km/h is just a “stepping stone.” He is still pushing his limits, aiming for 165 km/h.

The race for the championship is now on. Yanagawa is out with a back injury, so the team is without a goalkeeper, but they are not concerned with their position. Saito showed his determination by saying, “I will do my best to closer the score at closer is important, so I just have to go where I am told to go without being concerned about the position.” With 14 games remaining, they will give it their all to keep the score at zero and set the stage for a comeback victory. (Yamaguchi Yasushi)