◆ Pacific League Seibu Lions 3-6 Rakuten Eagles (3rd, Belluna Dome)

Watanabe, who served as the opening day pitcher, took the mound for the second time this season, but he couldn't hold on, giving up 7 hit 6 runs in 6 innings, resulting in his second loss in two starts.

He closer them scoreless through the first three innings, but in the fourth inning, he allowed the leadoff batter, Daisuke Nakashima, to reach base with triple to right-center field, and then gave up the first run on a timely triple the right-field line by YG Yasuda, the second batter. Ryosuke Tatsumi, the third batter, followed with a timely single to left field, and then he gave up a double to right-center doble to Voit, the fourth batter. With no outs and runners on second and third, Fumiya Kurokawa, the fifth batter, hit his first home run of the season, a three-run homer that landed near the right-field foul pole, and he gave up five runs in one inning. He hung his head and said, "I really regret that three-run homer after we had runner on base. It felt like he hit it really well."

In the 6th inning, with a 3-5 lead and 2 runs, 1 out, 2nd and 3rd base. Itsuki Murabayashi the second pitch was carried to the left front cutter and lost one more run. He threw Hikaru Ota from first base with two outs to the middle closer mound with 108 pitches, and explained the reason why he threw until the 6th inning, saying, "I was entrusted with the opening pitcher, so of course I was aware of it, and I also wanted to go." Regarding the 1st runs in the 6th inning, he regretted, "The team caught up with 2 more runs, and it was tough to be hit by one shot runs.