Pacific League: Lotte 1-7 Seibu Lions (5th, ZOZO)

The Seibu Lions won a close game against Lotte, securing second place for the 2026 season with one game remaining. In the first stage of the Climax Series (CS) starting on the 10th, they will face Nippon-Ham at their home stadium, Belluna Dome.

In the 8th inning with the score tied and one out with the bases loaded, 25th-year veteran Takeya Nakamura infielder drew a Walk to drive in the go-ahead run. After there were two outs with the bases loaded, another run was added on an opponent's wild pitch. In the 9th inning, they scored four runs all at once to decide the game.

Starting pitcher Kona Takahashi pitched 6 innings with 8 strike outs, 7 hits, 1 Walk, and 1 runs. Since he left the mound while the game was tied, he did not receive a win or a loss, and he fell short of his 10th win, which would have been his first double-digit win total in three years.

In the first inning, although he allowed runners to reach first and second with two outs, he struck out Fujiwara swinging with a 156 km/h fastball, his fastest of the day. In the scoreless third inning, he gave up a solo Home Run to the lead-off batter Yamaguchi into the left-field stands, allowing the first run, but from then on, he continued to pitch tenaciously while allowing runners and did not give up any more points.