◆ Although they managed to defeat Taira early on, Tanizawa said, "The middle ranks were the key."

On the 22nd, Nippon-Ham faced Seibu Lions and suffered a walk-off-off loss in the 10th extra inning, 3-4x. In the 3rd inning, with a 3-run lead and no outs and a runner on first Takuya Hiruma 's hit and let runs get past him, resulting in a run scored (recorded as triple). In the 4th inning, with two outs and a runner on second, Seiya Watanabe Kengo Yoshida a game-tying doble over Yoshida's head.

Although they managed to get the better of the opposing starter, Kaima Taira, early on, Nippon-Ham ended up runs due to an error by defense. On the Fuji TV ONE program “Pro baseball News 2026,” which aired on the 22nd, host Yutaka Takagi pointed out, “They haven’t been plagued by errors, but I was still a bit concerned about their defense,” to which commentator Masaki Saito repliedoffered some constructive criticism, saying, “(Hiruma’s hit) was a good hit, but Yoshida had moved two or three steps forward. If he’d made a solid judgment on the ball there, I think he could have caught it, and regarding the other run (in the 4th inning), I feel like he could have been a bit more aggressive.”

Furthermore, when Takagi said, "I think it was a defense breakdown," another commentator, Kenichi Tanizawa, commented, "The center fielder was the key point. He's an inexperienced former catcher, isn't he?"

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"