◆ Pacific League Seibu Lions 2-1 Lotte (14th, Belluna Dome)

Seibu Lions won their first home game at Belluna Dome in about two weeks against Lotte, securing their first consecutive wins in July. Starting pitcher Kaima Taira earned his seventh win of the season, pitching six hit runs, allowing seven hits. After four innings, he had once again reached the required innings pitched, and ERA of 0.92 puts him firmly at the top of the league.

In the first inning, he gave Walk to the leadoff and allowed a runner on second with no outs due to his own wild pitch, but the following batters did not score a stealer. In the third inning, there was one out with a runner on third, and in the sixth, one out with runners on first and second, he managed to runner each inning but closed key moments.

In the second inning, with both teams scoreless, infielder Tyler Nevin led off with his 12th home run of the season, his first since the game Chunichi on June 6th (at Vantelin Dome), to give his team the lead. In the fifth inning, with no outs and runners on first and third, Watanabe hit sacrifice fly to center field, adding a crucial second run.

In the final inning, Kaihino faced a bases-loaded, no bases loaded situation, but managed to hold on for just one runs and secure win. The gap between them and first-place Softbank Hawks, who had won their earlier day game, remains unchanged at three games. They widened the gap with third-place Nippon-Ham to two games.