◆ Pacific League Seibu Lions 1-5 Nippon-Ham (28th, Belluna Dome)

When the fierce ball broke between first and second bases, Nippon-Ham Mizutani clenched his right fist. 5 innings with 2 outs and 0–1 bases loaded. count From 2-2, he responded to Watanabe's outside fastball and hit a game-winning two-run ball to right field. "It was a desperate patch. Thanks to being connected to the team's lineup like hair, we got one home run."

Starting with the match on the 26th, he will be wearing a special Hokkaido uniform with an ochre color scheme inspired by the Hokkaido landscape. "My favorite food from Hokkaido is corn, so I made a connection," he said, explaining that he has changed his trademark "pineapple hair" to "cornrows," a style of intricately braided hair, and he beamed with a wide smile as he mentioned the custom-made Hokkaido hairstyle.

The team's pitching and hitting clicked, leading to two consecutive wins against league leaders Seibu Lions. Their lead in the standings is now a season-high nine games. Having experienced last place in April, they've narrowed the gap from a maximum of seven games behind the leader to just three. Manager Shinjo commented, "It's happening quickly. The players have produced excellent results and closed the gap. No matter who the opponent is, we'll aim for these two wins and one loss. Even if we lose the first game, we'll win the remaining two." Their resounding away wins have steadily narrowed the gap with the top teams. (Haruki Kawakami)