◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 9-2 Orix Buffaloes (30th, ES CON FIELD)

Orix Buffaloes gave up Home Run to Yoshida, Mizuno, and Reyes, and suffered a crushing defeat, allowing 9 runs.

The only highlight was when Kurebayashi hit his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot, to tie the game in the second inning. Starting pitcher Jerry was a disappointment, giving up five runs before the third inning. In the later innings, Yoshida and Saiki, who was making his first appearance of the season since undergoing right elbow surgery last year, both struggled, giving up two runs each.

The team's record at the opposing team's home ground, ES CON FIELD, was 1 win and 6 losses. Manager Mamoru Kishida said, "It was a complete defeat. Today was a total loss... We go into each game with the intention of changing the momentum, but losing the first game (of the three-game series) is a bit painful, but we have to fight back again starting tomorrow," he said, trying to look ahead.

Seymour, who was promoted after a month, was used as a pinch hitter with two outs and runners on first and second in the ninth inning, and grounded out to first for the final hitter. The gap between third-place Nippon-Ham and third-place Lotte has widened to three games, while fifth-place Lotte has closed the gap to just 1.5 games.

Orix Buffaloes 's Saiki (who overcame right elbow surgery in October 2013 and made his first appearance of the season, throwing at a top speed of 153 km/h but giving up a two-run homer to Reyes): "Even if I can throw and swing my arm well, it's all the same if I give up home run. It's meaningless if I get two outs and then give up home run."