"Any pitch will do." DeNA's Maki makes a full swing - Professional Baseball CS

DeNA has achieved yet another victory. It was Maki's swing that produced the one point that decided the game in a suffocating pitcher's battle.

Takahashi, who has the most wins and the highest winning percentage, could not be defeated and the match went into the final stages without a point. 8 innings, 2 outs. Maki took the turn at bat with the mindset, ``I'm going to use any type of pitch for a sweet pitch.'' He hit a strong two-seam hit on the third pitch that came near the middle. When he saw that the high-pitched ball had entered the stands, he raised his fist.

Last year's final stage, where they faced league champions Hanshin, ended quickly with three consecutive losses from the first match. ``I couldn't do anything,'' he says. He hit a career-high 30 home runs this season, and is leading the team in the postseason as well. In the first stage, he homered in two consecutive games. In the first game of the Finals, he had no hits but contributed with two walks, and in the second game he had two hits. He remains in good shape.

With consecutive wins, they are just two wins away from advancing to the Japan Series. Although he clearly has more momentum than his opponent, he does not need to relax and says, ``It's going to be a tough battle tomorrow and tomorrow. I want everyone to fight so that we can attack well from the first time.'' He was quietly filled with fighting spirit.