◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Rakuten Eagles 0-3 Hiroshima (14th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

Rakuten Eagles suffered shutout game loss to Hiroshima, extending their losing streak to two games.

Starting pitcher Fujii gave up a solo home run to Omori in the first inning, conceding the first run. In the second inning, with one out and runners on first and third, he allowed sacrifice fly to Fabian, extending the lead.

Still, he regained his form in the middle innings. Despite allowing a runner, he continued to runs pitch. He remained in the game through the 8th inning. He was pulled after putting the team in a jam with one out and runners on second and third. The second pitcher, Nakagomi, gave up a right-field sacrifice fly to Sakakura, allowing an additional run. Fujii finished with 7 hit 3 runs through the middle of the 8th inning.Regarding the left-hander’s strong performance, Acting Manager Shiokawa praised him, saying, “He really pitched well. He was a bit shaky at the start, but he managed to steady himself and hang in there. He pitched a solid game.”

The offense, hoping to provide support, struggled greatly against Hiroshima's starting pitcher Okamoto. They managed only two scattered hit by the seventh inning and were scoreless. Unable to break through the relief pitchers, they suffered their second consecutive shutout game loss. The manager took the situation as it was, saying, "It's the same as yesterday, but the next game is coming up, so we'll prepare for that."

The offense was silenced in the three-game series against Hiroshima, scoring only two runs in all three games. With one interleague game remaining, the acting manager was asked what the key to turning things around was, and he emphasized, "It's about scoring runs. It's obvious, but to achieve that, we have to clearly communicate what each player's role is. It's not just about telling them, but about ensuring that they understand."