◆ Pacific League League: Lotte vs. Orix Buffaloes (8th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ryuhei Sotani was removed from the game after 5 innings, runs 5 hit and 4 strike out 7.

In the first inning, he allowed the leadoff batter, Fujiwara, to reach base via a dropped third strike, then gave up a single to right field to Nishikawa, putting runners on first and second with no outs.He then gave up a two-run doble to Yasuda to right-center field, conceding the first run of the game. With two outs and a runner on third, he surrendered a two-run homer to Soto over the left-field fence. He was immediately forced into a tough start, trailing 4 runs.

In the second inning, with one out, he hit a single to left to Ogawa and gave Fujiwara a Hit by Pitch, putting runners on first and second. Even so, he grounded out Nishikawa to second and Yasuda swung and missed, struck out, and did not allow any runs in that game. In the third inning, he gave up three consecutive struck out off Yamaguchi, Sato, and Soto. In the fourth inning, he retired all three batters in order.

He retired the side in order in the fifth inning. From the sixth inning, the second pitcher, Abe, took mound. Soya, who had prioritized his conditioning and had not pitched since the game against Yakult on June 10th (Kyocera Dome Osaka), threw 86 pitches and his condition improved as the game progressed, but he was unable to secure his fifth win in his first mound in two months.