◆パ・リーグ　オリックス５―３西武（２１日・京セラドーム大阪）

Orix Buffaloes lost the three-game series against league leaders Seibu Lions, widening the gap to a season-high 6.5 games. Starting pitcher Kuri, who had just surpassed 1500 innings pitched pitched, faltered in the fourth inning. He allowed 5 runs to 10 hitter and suffered his fifth loss of the season. The veteran right-hander, who would have tied the club record with 10 consecutive wins at Kyocera Dome if he had won, maintained a grim expression even after being taken out of the game.

Trailing by five runs in the fifth inning, the team scored three runs, including a two-run Home Run by Sugisawa, his first professional home run. However, they were shut down in the later innings by Seibu Lions 's powerful relief pitching staff. The game against Seibu Lions that day drew 29,851 spectators, bringing the total attendance for home games this season to over 1 million (1,006,574). Reaching this milestone in 34 games tied the team's fastest record set in 2024, but they were unable to deliver a victory to the fans who came to the game on Sunday.