◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles 9-1 Lotte (18th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile is the strongest)
Rakuten Eagles won two straight games to secure the series win and increase their lead to a season-high of four games above .500.
Murabayashi hit the first two runs in the 3rd inning. Asamura followed with a two doble to right center, scoring four runs off Lotte starter Tanaka. Asamura hit his first two-run shot of the season in the fifth inning in the newly home run established zone in left-center this season.
On the pitching side, new foreign player Urena threw 114 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 6 hit, 3 Walk, and 1 runs, earning his first win since coming to Japan. Hayakawa will start the third game on the 19th, where the team will be aiming for a third consecutive win.
![[Video] What?! Rakuten Eagles players doing strength training during a game](https://hochi.news/images/2026/04/03/20260403-OHT1I51418-L.jpg)
![[Scoreboard] Rakuten Eagles vs. Lotte](/asset/img/news/source/logo_hochi.png){kind=logo}
![[Rakuten Eagles] Hideto Asamura adds two runs with a hit in the third inning. He was in good form the previous day, the 17th, with three hit.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/04/18/20260418-OHT1I51210-L.jpg)
![[Rakuten Eagles] Hideto Asamura in the fifth inning home run No. 1 two-run shot into the zone in the third inning doble including two in the fourth RBI](https://hochi.news/images/2026/04/18/20260418-OHT1I51246-L.jpg)
![[Lotte] Atsuki Taneichi, making his first appearance of the season, pitched well, throwing 91 pitches over 7 innings without runs, but was unable to secure his first win.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/04/17/20260417-OHT1I51506-L.jpg)
![[Rakuten Eagles] Two consecutive shutout game losses. Acting manager Tatsuya Shiokawa: "We need to clearly communicate what we need to do..." Only two runs scored in the three-game series against Hiroshima.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/06/14/20260614-OHT1I51407-L.jpg)
![[Rakuten Eagles] Offense goes silent, leading to second consecutive loss Masaru Fujii, now tied for his worst deficit of the season at 16 games, gives up 3 runs in the middle of the 8th inning and suffers his 3rd loss. He has only managed 2 hit against Hiroshima's Okamoto Shun through 7 innings.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/06/14/20260614-OHT1I51321-L.jpg)
![[Rakuten Eagles] To stop their losing streak, they've rearranged their lineup, putting Naoki Sato Sato in the cleanup spot for the first time. They've also selected Kohiro Komori, who's been promoted to the first team this season, to play left field in the ninth spot. Masaru Fujii will be the starting pitcher.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/06/14/20260614-OHT1I51204-L.jpg)
