◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles 8-4 Seibu Lions (23rd, Yamagata City)

They put on a win performance that hinted at a comeback. The batting lineup was in full swing, with 10 hit runs and 8 hits. New manager Masato Yoshii (61) exchanged high-fives with a smile as his energetic players celebrated. They defeated the league-leading Seibu Lions, securing their first back-to-back wins since Yoshii took over as manager. Manager Yoshii said,“ Pacific League To get the fans excited, we’re going to take down the top teams. baseball I think the fans will be happy, so I want to give it my all,” he said with a defiant smile. The team managed to win more games than they lost for the first time in six series. In Yamagata, where they had been struggling with a 1-11 record heading into the game, they secured their first victory there since 2018.

A key player who had been struggling finally got a hit. That player was Murabayashi, who had been in a slump. In the game against Lotte on the 19th (at ZOZO Marine Stadium), which was the new manager's first game in charge, Murabayashi, who had started every game, was benched for the first time this season to rest. Manager Yoshii explained, "I thought he might be suffering from central nervous system fatigue, so I gave him a rest to refresh himself." With his mind and body in top condition, number 6 hit a go-ahead two-run double to left field with two outs and doble on first and second in the third inning. "I thought I needed to play baseball with a different mindset (after the rest). I'm grateful for the communication I received," he said, expressing his gratitude for the paternal support. "Yoshii's magic" had paid off.

The batting lineup, which had been struggling with the fewest runs scored in the league, has been improving since the new manager took over, scoring 25 runs in four games. Kurokawa, who was placed in the ninth spot in the lineup, also performed well, reaching base twice. Manager Yoshii was pleased, saying, "An analyst advised me that if I put a batter with a high on-base percentage there (in the ninth spot), we would score runs." The team under the new manager is on an upward trajectory. (Kota Miyauchi)