◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 1-2 Seibu Lions (October 10, ES CON FIELD)

Seibu Lions won the first game of their series against Nippon-Ham, averting the threat of dropping to third place. Starting pitcher Natsuki Takeuchi pitched well, allowing only four hit and one runs seven innings to earn his sixth win of the season, his first in a month. The offense struggled against the opposing ace, Ito, but outfielder Masayuki Kuwahara hit a crucial game-tying solo home run in the seventh inning, leading to a come-from-behind victory.

Manager Fumiya Nishiguchi showered the left-hander with praise, saying, "I think the pitch itself was good, the height at which he threw it was good, and he was using changes of pace effectively. It's been a while since we've seen such a good Takeuchi."

On the other hand, Kuwahara had been in a terrible slump, going hitless in 26 consecutive at hit before this home run, so the manager looked surprised and said, "You hadn't been hitting for that long?" He added, "Getting a hit there was a real relief for the team, and I think this will help Kuwahara to gradually improve from here," expressing his hopes for the future.

Having averted the crisis of dropping to third place if they lost, they are now just two games behind first-place Softbank Hawks. The manager said, "I think this win is significant, but I'm not worried at all about the battle between second and third place. The team isn't in very good shape right now, so I'm only thinking about how to improve," shifting his focus to the next game.