Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes 4-12 Rakuten Eagles (27th, Kyocera Dome)

The Rakuten Eagles won a crushing victory over the Orix Buffaloes.

They connected from the start. The lineup took the lead in the first inning with McCuscar's RBI single to right. In the third inning, they took control of the game with 9 runs scored. In the third inning, leadoff hitter Nakajima reached base Walk, and with one out and a runner on first, Muneyama hit an end-run homer to right, doble to widen the chance. He connected to a big inning. Manager Yoshii praised, "Starting from the leadoff Walk, there was Sozan's finishing run. That was a big deal. That connected the game. Then McCuscar also picked Walk, and the opportunity expanded. Everyone did what they could," he praised.

On the mound, starter Kenta Maeda pitched with a good tempo from the start, throwing a no-hit performance through five innings. He continued his stable pitching, but after Hori reached base on a dropped third strike (passed ball) at the start of the sixth inning, he immediately gave up a center-field hit to Mugitani, allowing his first hit. After that, with one out and runners on second and third, a run was scored during Nishikawa's groundout to shortstop. Furthermore, with two outs and a runner on third, he gave up a timely hit to right field to Kita. He earned his fourth win with a strong performance, allowing three hits and two runs over six innings. The manager began by saying, "To be a bit nitpicky," and added sternly, "Because of Ota's passed ball there (in the sixth), Maeda's innings and pitch count were cut a bit short. We have to stay focused in games like that."