◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles Orix Buffaloes (November 11, Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

Orix Buffaloes 's Kuri broke into a smile after his hard-fought victory. "This win wasn't just my effort, it was a win we all achieved together. I think the team winning is everything." He avenged his loss to Rakuten Eagles on the 3rd (at Tokyo Dome), where he gave up 6 runs in 6 innings. He held them to a minimum of 7 runs, a solo home run by Nakajima, and secured his 8th win with 120 pitches.

After finishing practice in Maishima, Osaka, he arrived in Sendai on the 10th. He enjoyed yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) with Nishino and Espinoza, who are a year older and have rejoined the first team. He consciously ordered skirt steak and sirloin because he knew that the foreign players weren't fond of the team's famous beef tongue. His broad perspective and thoughtfulness further strengthened their bond.

They brought their winning percentage back to .500 and secured their first win against Rakuten Eagles Mobile, a team they had lost all six games to this season. Nishino, who treated them to yakiniku, also recorded his first RBI, much to his delight. The right-handed pitcher, known for his stamina, remained positive, saying, "None of the players have given up. We want to win each game properly and climb standings." With 39 games remaining, they are six games behind third-placed Nippon-Ham, who are in a playoff spot. They won't give up easily. (Toru Nagata)