[Seibu] Yuutaro Watanabe pitched his first complete game shutout game as a pro with the Maddux Lions: “It felt amazing.”
Sports Hochi
2025.9.6(土) 19:51
◆ Pacific League Seibu 4-0 Lotte (6th, Belluna Dome)
He was finally able to see the view he had wanted to see for seven years. It was the ninth inning, two outs and a runner on first base. Seibu Lions pitcher Yuutaro Watanabe struck out the final hitter with a grounder to second base, and then he broke into a huge smile and raised his arms in the air. He completed his first complete game as a pro with shutout game, achieving the “Maddux” shutout game less than 100 pitches with just 97 pitches. “The adrenaline was incredible. It felt amazing,” he exclaimed from the podium.
He took advantage of the 10-day interval after the August 26 Nippon-Ham game (Belluna Dome) to get rid of the fatigue accumulated from the August heat wave and to review his pitch form. When I was good, I was throwing with my arm swinging on its own and feeling the weight of the ball, but I wasn’t doing that so much anymore,” he said. He also discussed with Yu Koga catcher and used a curveball to get hitter off timing. 2 hit allowed a run but no walk did not allow a runner to reach second base and he threw a complete game in the ninth inning. I didn’t feel tired. Manager Nishiguchi also commented, “strike being able to win the game in the first inning led to shutout game the win. I think this was a win that will give us confidence.
The team has risen to fourth place with four consecutive wins. “We’ll do our best to get to the CS,” the right-hand man vowed.
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