◆ Pacific League Softbank Hawks 0-6 Seibu Lions (30th, Tokyo Dome)

Seibu Lions players looked dejected. In the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing by six runs with two outs and a runner on first, Kojima flied out to right field, ending the game. They lost the first game of the series against Softbank Hawks, who were only one game behind, and fell from first place for the first time in about a month since May 24th. Manager Nishiguchi said, "I'm not worried about standings at all. We're just a bit off, so to break that streak, we need to get our momentum going with our hitting rather than relying on pitcher. We want to do a better job tomorrow," he said, trying to look ahead with determination.

Both the pitching and hitting were lackluster. Starting pitcher Taira was pulled after 6 innings, hit up 7 hits and a season-high 4 runs (2 earned), resulting in his second loss of the season. The offense was held to just 4 hit and committed 3 errors.

With a record of 3 wins and 7 losses in the 10 matches since the league resumed, the team will embark on a long two-week road trip starting on the 1st. "We want to proceed carefully while keeping an eye on the players' physical condition," said the manager. This is a crucial time for them to persevere in their quest for a comeback. (Ayami Onaka)