◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles 3-0 Nippon-Ham (July 7th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile)

Rakuten Eagles overcame the setback when pitcher Kenta Maeda had to leave the game due to a right calf cramp, thanks to the combined efforts of their relief pitchers. This victory extended their winning streak to four games (including a tie), putting them in sole possession of second place, ahead of Nippon-Ham. A key factor in their success was a certain action taken by number 18.

Maeda faced unexpected misfortune. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with one out and a runner on first base, and the score tied 0-0, he threw his second pitch to Tamiya and immediately put his hand to his right calf, showing signs of discomfort. He continued pitching, but after throwing his third pitch, the injured area cramped up, and he was taken out of the game as a precaution. Despite pitching 3 1/3 runs, his 166th career win in Japan and the US was put on hold.

The right-hander struggled to find the words, saying, "pitch itself wasn't bad. I'm disappointed that I had to leave the game midway through, and I feel sorry for all reliever relief pitchers." After being taken out of the game, he went to bullpen himself and bowed his head to the relief pitchers, saying, "I'm sorry."

The veteran, who has had a brilliant career in both Japan and the US, offered a surprising apology. His younger teammates, who had looked up to Maeken as a good "big brother" since spring training, were naturally inspired by this action.

Second pitcher Kajiya got Tamiya to ground out to second base and then Narama to ground out to third base, getting out of a difficult situation. In the bottom of the inning, Kurokawa hit a two-doble, and the momentum for win suddenly increased. In the fifth inning, they allowed two hit but got through without giving up any runs.

From the sixth inning onwards, Uchi, Suzuki Sho, Nishigaki, and Fujihira combined to shutout game the Ham Home Run' lineup, which had hit home runs in nine consecutive games since the start of the season. Kajiya, who became the hero of the pitching, revealed that Maeda's demeanor was the "key to victory," saying, "Maeda came all the way to bullpen and said, 'Sorry,' so I think that one word probably gave bullpen staff the determination to say, 'Okay, let's do this!' and helped them unite as one."

It was literally a victory achieved through the combined efforts of the entire team.