While the Softbank Hawks have their magic number for a third consecutive league title down to 19, the second-place Seibu Lions, trailing by five games, are also improving their form as they aim for a major comeback championship.

The Seibu Lions won the interleague championship and were 18 games over .500 after the interleague play ended. However, starting with the June 22nd game against the Rakuten Eagles, where they failed to hold a lead and suffered a walk-off loss, the team began a downward trend, finishing July with a losing record of 9 wins, 11 losses, and 1 draw.

Even after entering August, the team suffered a three-game losing streak from the Lotte game on the 4th to the Softbank Hawks game on the 7th. After winning the three-game series against Nippon-Ham starting on the 11th with two wins and one loss, they did not suffer a single losing streak, and they swept the previous three-game series against the Rakuten Eagles. This brought their record to a season-high 20 games over .500.

With a monthly record of 16 wins and 8 losses in August, the season finally enters the decisive month of September. While the Softbank Hawks remain in a favorable position for the league title, professional baseball is a sport where anything can happen until the very end. Will there be a major comeback championship for the Seibu Lions?