Yuta Saito records first pro win
Yuta Saito of Hiroshima earned his first professional victory in the July 22 game against the Giants at the Tokyo Dome, working five innings with three hits allowed and one run while ending the club’s three-game skid. The fourth-year right-hander, a 2022 first-round draftee, said he plans to send the winning ball to his mother in Hokkaido; the team announced commemorative T-shirts.
Yanagita delivers walk-off as pinch-hitter
SoftBank’s Yuki Yanagita came off the bench as a pinch-hitter on July 23 at Mizuho PayPay Dome and delivered a walk-off hit to center with one out and the bases loaded, giving his team a 6-5 win over Orix. Orix had rallied to tie the game in the ninth, but Yanagita’s clutch hit ended the contest and sent the stadium into celebration.
Rookie Kutani records first pro win
Rookie Ryu Kutani, a sixth-round pick for the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, recorded his first professional win on July 23 at ZOZO Marine in the game against Chiba Lotte. Entering in the seventh as the second pitcher, he worked a scoreless inning that included strikeouts and helped secure the comeback victory. The 26-year-old said he plans to give the winning ball to his wife; the club announced commemorative goods.