◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026: The Giants 2-1 Orix Buffaloes (June 4th, Tokyo Dome)

They lost every single game, which was decided by a hair's breadth. "Now, it's time to be patient again..." After suffering three consecutive defeats on the road against The Giants, a team they had beaten six times since 2012, all by a single run, manager Kishida worked hard to change his mindset.

On the 2nd, Kuri gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to Cabbage. The shock on the 3rd was even greater, as Mukunoki, a key player in the winning pattern, gave up a go-ahead grand slam to Maru. On this day, the score was 1-1 after 7 innings. Starting pitcher Espinoza walked the leadoff batter, creating a jam with one out and a runner on second Walk, and then allowed a go-ahead doble to Izumiguchi.

The opposing hero was a junior colleague of Kishida's from his time at NTT West Japan, a company team. "I guess you could say he finished us off... It was a do-or-die situation, and I think we were beaten," he said, accepting the result gracefully.

The team's record in the interleague series is 4 wins and 5 losses. Winning the championship for the first time in five years seems extremely difficult at this point. "Both pitcher and fielder have their ups and downs throughout the year. We have to support each other and keep fighting," said the manager. Their lead, which was once as high as 10 games, has been halved to 5. The gap with first-place Seibu Lions has widened to 3.5 games. Starting on the 5th, they will play a three-game series against Hiroshima at Mazda Stadium. Rebuilding is a top priority. (Toru Nagata)