The showdown between SoftBank and Hanshin has ended—SoftBank, playing on the road, secured a crucial victory at Koshien and only needs one more win to clinch the interleague title for the 2016 season.
However, after this match ended, few focused on the win or loss itself; many, including the media, professionals, and fans, turned their attention to the defeated Hanshin Tigers, their manager Kanamoto Tomohiko, and starting pitcher Fujinami Jintaro.
Almost simultaneously with the match's conclusion, Kanamoto Tomohiko was surrounded by a pack of reporters; facing their inquiries, he remained calm, confidently expressing his viewpoint:
"I intended for him to pitch through the game today. Whether you call it responsibility or not, the key is his very poor start—which inning was it again? Because of bad strikes, in his attempt to get a count, he was hit—this shouldn't be the performance of a pitcher who won 14 games last year."
