◆ Pacific League Orix Buffaloes 3-1 Rakuten Eagles (May 5th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes manager Mamoru Kishida expressed his delight at Espinoza's impressive record. The right-hander earned his 10th win of the season, tying for the league lead, after allowing only one run in seven runs, becoming the first foreign player in the team's history to achieve double-digit win since Davey in 2006. "He's truly reliable," Kishida said, praising Espinoza and revealing their conversation during spring training in February.

"His goal was 13 wins, but I told him, 'Please aim for 15 wins' (laughs). I think he'll manage to do it." The manager has raised the target by five more wins. Espinoza himself is highly motivated, saying, "I think it's a number I can aim for. I'll do my best to reach it."

The team won two straight games against Rakuten Eagles, securing a series win and regaining their winning record.