On the CS Fuji TV ONE program "Pro baseball News" aired on the 17th, commentator Hatsuhiko Tsuji gave a critical assessment of Rakuten Eagles 's Itsuki Murabayashi 's play.

First, regarding defense, the play in the 7th inning was highlighted. Murabayashi chased a fly ball that went between short stop and the right fielder for a while but gave up on catch. As a result, it became a bloop single, which led to a run runs later. Furthermore, in the 8th inning, with no outs and a runner on first base, he fumbled a ball that was in the making of double play play. This also allowed another run, a costly mistake for Rakuten Eagles.

Regarding the handling of the fly ball in the 7th inning, Tsuji criticized the play, saying, "If outfielder is positioned to chase the ball like that, they'll think, 'short stop is going to catch it.' That was a ball that short stop should have run back with all his might to catch." He also pointed out that the error in the 8th inning was due to a problem with the footwork, saying, "His feet were together and didn't match bounce."

In terms of hitting, he was often a liability, such as when he grounded into a double play play with runners on first and third with one out. Tsuji prefaced his remarks by saying, "He's a capable player," and then commented, "I want him to be more mindful of his batting depending on the situation. In that situation, I would have liked him to at least hit it to the right field." Given that he lacked brilliance in both offense and defense in this game, he was urging the key player to step up his game.

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"