On August 20, in the 20th game between Saitama Seibu Lions and Orix Buffaloes held in Belluna Dome, Orix Buffaloes win 3-1. They ended their losing streak at '4.'

Orix Buffaloes took the lead in the top of the second inning, with doble and sacrifice bunt leadoff and Kotaro Kobayashi with one out and a runner on third, and Keita Nakagawa took the lead with sacrifice fly. In the top of the third, with the score tied, with two outs and runners on first and second due to an opponent's error and Ryoma Nishikawa Walk, the team took the lead with a timely doble by Ryo Ota. In the top of the seventh, with two outs and bases loaded, Ota added another run with a bases-loaded Walk.

Starter Espinoza pitcher tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with two outs thanks to consecutive hits by Takeya Nakamura and Takayoshi Yamamura players. Even so, with support from the third inning onward, he retired three consecutive inning in order. In the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, he carried runner but did not score, and retired all three batters again in the bottom of the eighth, pitching 101 pitches, 4 hit no walks Hit by Pitch 9 strike out 1 runs to retire the mound.

In the bottom of the ninth, with a two-run lead, Machado pitcher closed out with three batters, ending the game 3-1. Espinoza pitcher tied for the league lead with their 11th win of the season. Meanwhile, Saitama Seibu Lions Haruki Sugiyama pitcher, making his season debut, pitched 5 hit 5 1 Walk 4 strike out 2 runs (earned runs 1) over 5 innings. From the third inning onward, the lineup was only split into 2 hit.

123456789 total
O 011000100 3
West 010000000 1

O ○ Espinoza-S Machado
West Haruki Sugiyama-Taishi Mameda-Wataru Matsumoto-Haruto Yamada

Written by Aoi Nishijima