◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 1-2 Seibu Lions (August 8, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Seibu Lions Lions outfielder Seiya Watanabe hit his second home run of the season on the 8th, a crucial insurance run.

He started the game as the fifth batter and third baseman. In the eighth inning with two outs and a one-run lead, he hit Hernandez's 155 km/h fastball for Home Run over the left field home run terrace. He reflected, "The ball had good velocity, so I didn't think I needed to swing fast. I swung compactly. It was Home Run that I was able to hit by using the opponent's power."

The team has won two straight games against Softbank Hawks, securing their first series win of the season. Watanabe, as a key player, vowed confidently, "Being able to beat the league leaders, who are in such good form, gives us confidence. We're playing well. Scoring first since yesterday has been working well. Taking the lead is the key point. If we can concentrate in our first at-bat, we'll be closer to winning. We want to develop a winning pattern. A winning pattern for the batting lineup."