◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 8-2 Seibu Lions (13th, ES CON FIELD)

Seibu Lions 's starting pitcher, Allan Winans, gave up 6 hit 8 runs in 4 2/3 innings, suffering his fourth loss of the season. He has now given up 5 or more runs in three consecutive starts, failing to control the game.

In the first inning, with two outs and runners on first and third, on the third pitch to the fifth batter, Gunji, with a 1-1 count, he stole second and home, allowing the opposing team to score the first run. After count became 3-1, Gunji hit a two-run homer into the right-field stands, and the pitcher looked dejected, saying, "I was in the best condition I've been in during the last few weeks of training, but in the first inning, he hit a pitch that I had misplaced very well."

The second through fourth innings all ended in three-up, three-down. However, in the fifth inning—after our team had closed the gap to one run—with one out, Narama and Iihata strung together hits, Walk, putting runners on first and second with one out, bases loaded, before Mizuno hit a single to center field, sacrifice fly.With two outs and runners on first and third, Reyes hit an RBI single to shortstop infield hit, and Castro followed with a hard-hit RBI single third baseman doble, knocking him out of the game. “I felt like I was pitching effectively through five innings, but the opposing team outplayed me, runs, and it’s very frustrating,” he reflected.

For the right-handed pitcher in his first year in Japan, this was his first appearance in a first-team game in about a month, since the game against Softbank Hawks on July 1st (at Mizuho PayPay Dome). He was aiming for his third win of the season, but it turned out to be a tough comeback game.