In this match against Softbank, the Yomiuri Giants have shown considerable seriousness by sending their current pitcher, Sugano Tomoyuki, as the starting pitcher. As a relative of Manager Hara Tatsunori, although he is often jokingly referred to as the "big nephew" by fans of other teams, his personal skills are undeniably great—winning 13 games in his rookie year and averaging more than 6.5 innings per game.
In the top of the first inning, despite Softbank Team relying on a hit by Imamiya Kenta to create a situation with runners on first and third with two outs, Sugano Tomoyuki still showcased his composed personality and suppressive power:
A high fastball, an inside fastball, and a forkball with an impressive downward trajectory altogether took down Nakamura Akira, Yanagida Yuuki, and struck out Nagatagawa Yuuya, thus easily resolving the first half inning.
