◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 1-0 Rakuten Eagles (September 9th, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham won a close game against Rakuten Eagles with a "Shinjo Special." In the 7th inning, with no outs and a runner on first base, a "bunt-and-run" was successful. With one out and a runner on third base, outfielder Chusei Mannami (26) hit a timely infield hit to shortstop, which proved to be the winning run. Starting pitcher Kohei Arihara (33) threw 118 pitches over 9 innings, allowing 6 hit strike out 11 batters to earn his 4th win and his second consecutive shutout game. In the 3rd inning, he recorded his 1000th strike out becoming the 161st player in history to do so.

runner Isohata kicked the second base and reached third base without slowing down. In the seventh inning with no outs and a runner on first with no outs, Mizuno rolled a bunt before third on the first pitch, and Igoman, who had just started, advanced to third base in a 'bunt and run' that exploded. With one out and a runner on third, infielder advanced, and Mannami hit a timely infield hit to shortstop who was dropping behind second base, scoring the winning run.

The 'Shinjo Special' he had been preparing since the night before was a perfect fit. Manager Shinjo said, "Since last night, I thought Koja would be on the left side (pitcher), and Kaneko would come, so I first baseman. I'm not used to the scene, so I thought the throw might be delayed. If it weren't for Kaneko, I wouldn't have done it." Rakuten Eagles 's starting pitcher is left-handed Koja. Furthermore, first baseman was just registered under the main roster this May and had little first-team experience, Kaneko (4th pick in the 2025 developmental draft), and they were expanding their vision. In a pre-game meeting, he explained the strategy, saying, "I had the third base catch Kosha late (third base cover). It was perfect," showing confidence in the attack just as planned.

The team was united in spirit. Mizuno, who executed a perfect bunt, said, "The condition was that we had to get it right on the first try, so it went really well." Igarashi, who made a great base running, also said, "All the players are prepared for whatever sign is given. The moment the ball rolled, I was able to go to third base without hesitation." Each player fulfilled their role and produced that precious run.

He allowed a perfect pitch to the opposing starter Kosa up to six innings, hitter win with 25 batters and 2 hit. The manager said, "Right now, it's a period when you can't hit. If you play for a year, usually five or six innings will be three or four games, and the lineup will be cold during that period. I think this kind of strategy will come alive," he said after a calm analysis. The dominant 127 Home Run in both leagues combined with the small baseball skills honed over five years in charge were combined to form the strongest Shinjo baseball. (Haruki Kawakami)