◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 3-5 Lotte (August 1st, ES CON FIELD)

In the ninth inning, Nippon-Ham 's fourth pitcher, Ren Fukushima, gave up a game-winning two-run homer, ending their four-game winning streak. Their lead in the standings also dropped to 12 games.

The game was a back-and-forth battle until the final innings. In the third inning, Mizuno hit his eighth career home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field fence, to take the lead. In the fourth inning, immediately after being tied, Nomura hit sacrifice fly to center field with one out and runners on first and third to regain the lead. In the fifth inning, Manami hit an RBI single to left field with two outs and a runner on third, giving them a two-run lead at one point.

Starting pitcher Takashi Kato was leading by one run in the fourth inning when a double to left-center doble by Yamaguchi, coupled with an error, put a runner on third with no outs, and Soto hit sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game. The offense then took a two-run lead, but in the sixth inning, consecutive bases loaded by pinch hitter Yasuda and Yamaguchi loaded the bases with one out, and Ishikawa hit a two-run doble down the left field line to tie the game, at which point Kato was taken out of the game.

Nevertheless, when runners were on second and third with one out, reliever Uehara managed to escape without giving up any runs, preventing the opposing team from taking the lead. Kato Takashi, who was on an eight-game winning streak, was unable to secure his league-leading 11th win, but his winning streak continued.