Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) showed off a glimpse of his evolved "Stingy baseball" on the 15th. He attempted two end runs, both of which resulted in a flawless attack that allowed the runner on third base to score on infield grounder. With the expansion of the bases and the narrower spacing between bases, he is polishing up the "26th version."

In the third inning, with one out and a hitter on third, Ichibata was at batter. After a one-ball leadoff, he hit a slow grounder to first base to score. "Right-handed pitcher often take their time to lift their leg, then miss the ball once they've started. So it's harder to miss a run to score with a runoff," said Coach Shinjo. With the score now down by one in the ninth inning, with one out and runners on first and third, the opposing team tried to double play in the center defense. Ichibata attempted a runoff with the runner on first base, and Narama's grounder to second base broke up the double double play, tying the game.

Regarding the expansion of the base, he confirmed, "We want to make adjustments, because the base has gotten bigger," after two steals of second base, and with the expansion of each side from 15 inches (38.1 cm) to 18 inches (45.7 cm), which is 7.6 cm, the distance between bases has become about 15 cm narrower, but he will incorporate this into his strategy to make use of his speed. Ichihata also said, "Successful team play is more valuable than a hit," and the manager's intentions have been well-received by the players. Regarding the end run sign, he said, "Ever since the boss took over, I've always thought something was up. I was preparing for something he might do."

In the seventh inning, with the full count loaded and two bases loaded, Nishikawa, runner on second, hit a weak infield hit to first base, even though he had already started the innings. His two-run RBI single to first base was flawless, as befits a team that regularly uses two-squeeze. Manager Shinjo expressed his satisfaction, saying, "We're becoming a team that can pull off difficult feats. That's what The Fighters are. No one can imitate that. We just need to create something that has never been done before. That's what The Fighters want to do." One more run could be the difference between victory and defeat. We're ready to grab it.