◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 4-1 Rakuten Eagles (August 1st, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Rakuten Eagles suffered a come-from-behind loss to Softbank Hawks.

In that game, head coach Tatsuya Shiokawa (43) served as first base coach for the first time this season. General Manager Kazuhisa Ishii (52) repeatedly emphasized that it was "not a negative thing," and explained the aim, saying, "We want to increase the resolution and reproducibility. There is a temperature on ground, so it is the head coach's job to really feel that temperature and bring it back. The head coach works closely with the manager to formulate such strategies. Including all of that, we want to improve the strategy, its reproducibility, and its resolution."

He didn't do it because they were on a losing streak. He said they would have done it even if they were on a winning streak. "It's important to keep trying and learning from mistakes. The season is long, so we have to try all sorts of things. I want to think about various things and make choices as I go along," he said, looking ahead.

There is no set period for Shiokawa to serve as the first base coach. "There is no set period. In other words, it's not a fixed role." He stated that they will continue to be flexible in their approach.