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

Seibu Lions Lions manager Fumiya Nishiguchi explained after the game against Nippon-Ham Fighters on the 13th (at Escon Stadium) why first-round draft catcher Taiga Kojima, who hit the game-winning three-run homer the previous night, was benched.

The starting catcher for the day was not Kojima, but Koga Yu. The manager emphasized that Koga was "not injured" when it came to using him, but didn't say much more, only adding, "That's just for today. We'll talk about that again when we get back (to Belluna Dome)." When asked by reporters if it would be difficult for a rookie to play in all three games of the series, he replied, "We're taking that into consideration, and we're thinking about various things, including pitcher."

Despite being a rookie drafted first overall in 2013, Kojima has played in 64 games so far, batting .260 with 25 RBI, and has shown his clutch hitting ability with three of his six Home Run this season being game-winning hits. In the game on the 12th, with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning with one out and runners on second and third base, he connected with Shimamoto's 130 km/h slider and hit a go-ahead three-run homer, his sixth of the season, into right-center field.