Pacific League: Orix 5-6 Seibu (2nd, Kyocera Dome Osaka)
Orix manager Mamoru Kishida gave a speech at the final home game ceremony. "A lot of fans came today, but I'm sorry we couldn't win," he apologized. He continued, "This year, we've been working hard, building on the frustration of last year. We got off to a good start, but then we had injuries and a losing streak... We had some tough times, but the players fought with passion until the very end, and although we didn't win the championship, we managed to earn a spot in the climax." He summed up his first year in charge.
True to the manager's words, the team has a record of 73 wins, 65 losses, and 3 draws so far this season. With win against Rakuten on September 27th (Kyocera Dome Osaka), they secured third place and advanced to the CS for the first time in two years. They've made a leap from fifth place last season, never dropping below a .500 win rate since the start of the season, and their first winning record in two years was secured in the same game on the 28th (same venue). The team's two remaining games will be away games, with the final game of the season on October 5th (Rakuten Mobile Park).
Manager Kishida has his sights set on defeating the two powerhouses Nippon-Ham and Softbank, in the CS and overthrowing the current leaders. "The tough battles are still to come. We will work together as a team to advance and do our best so that we can play again here at Kyocera Dome, so please continue to cheer us on," he said, bowing, which was met with thunderous applause from the stadium.
Related News
・ [Scoreboard] Orix vs Seibu
・ [Orix] Lost a close game for the second consecutive year, losing their final home game... Seibu 's Tatsuya Imai earned double-digit win for the third consecutive year
・ [Orix] In the 8th inning, the cheering squad played a cheer song for Kodai Sano, who will be leaving the team at the end of this season... The batting line-up closed the gap to one point.
・ [Orix] Kenya Wakatsuki makes a costly mistake... After catch a hit to center field by Yuto Koga, he throws a wild pitch to first base, allowing Yu Koga to score in one go.
・ [Orix] Ryuhei Sotani gave up 9 hit 6 runs (5 earned) in 5 innings, strike out and left the game... not getting his 9th win in 83 days
