◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 9-1 Orix Buffaloes (August 2nd, ES CON FIELD)

He sent the players' bus home first and remained at the humiliating Escon. "We've been consistently beaten here. We'll have to come up with a solid plan and keep going." With a record of 1 win and 8 losses at the away stadium, which opened in 2023, Orix Buffaloes manager Kishida faced reality after a coaches' meeting that lasted over 40 minutes.

Hajime Sato gave up four consecutive hits starting with the leadoff batter in the first inning. It was a “first in history” for both the batter and the pitcher. The seventh-year left-hander, a product of the farm system who was knocked out after just 16 pitches, said simply, “I’m just so frustrated.” After being pulled from the game, he covered his face with a towel but couldn’t hide his tears.The bullpen—including Gonda and Katayama—runs. The offense managed only Nishikawa’s solo home run to take the lead and never managed to gain momentum.

In nine games at Escon, the team allowed a total of 67 runs and 21 Home Run. With the pitching collapse showing no signs of stopping, manager Kishida appealed, "We have a lot of young players. It's not about whether we did well or badly today; we have to keep improving. We need to learn, gain experience, and raise our level." They return home on the 3rd for a three-game series against Seibu Lions (at Hotto Motto Field Kobe and Kyocera Dome). With player changes also being considered, the team must work together to find a solution. (Toru Nagata)