Pacific League: Nippon-Ham 6-3 Rakuten Eagles (6th, Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

Nippon-Ham achieved their second eight-game winning streak of the season. In the third game of the three-game series against the Rakuten Eagles, they gave up two runs in the first inning. Despite falling behind for the first time in the three games, manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) employed various strategies from that point on, leading the team to a comeback win.

In the fourth inning with the score 0-2, they pulled back one run on an infield grounder. Then, with one out and runners on first and third, Shindo executed a squeeze play on the first pitch to tie the game.

Manager Shinjo typed: "It was a safety squeeze. I thought if we could somehow tie the score, Arihara-kun would shift into a higher gear and keep putting up zeros."

Although he gave up two runs in the first inning, the starter Arihara acted as a closer from the second inning onward, allowing no further runs. Seeing that, the team chose a high-probability strategy when the opportunity arose.

Manager Shinjo said, "(Shindo's) batting has been good for a long time. I felt like he could have hit at least an outfield fly even without a safety squeeze. But well, I wanted to make sure we got the run."

Arihara improved his condition just as expected. In the sixth inning, the lineup decided the game by scoring four runs all at once, including a decisive three-run Home Run by Kotaro Kiyomiya. There was also a strategy in the process leading up to that point. In the at-bat before the Home Run, Kiyomiya had recorded a hit to third base, which was his first hit of September.

Manager Shinjo said, "Since Kiyomiya-kun got an infield hit, I thought he would hit next. (Before that) I just wanted to advance the runner to the second baseman's area. For (the previous hitter) Otsuka-kun, we started with a safety bunt and then went with a hit-and-run the whole time. I figured if the runner moved to second, he would drive him in."

With one out and a runner on first, Otsuka stepped up to the plate and responded to the manager's expectations with a hit to right field. This put runners on first and second, setting the stage for Kotaro Kiyomiya's game-winning hit.

Manager Shinjo said, "That's just how batters are. Getting a hit like that... that hit was huge. (Regarding the jammed hit toward third base) Wait, wasn't that a safety bunt? Oh, was I mistaken? I thought it was a safety. Hahaha!"

Starting from the 8th, they will play a three-game series against the first-place Softbank Hawks at the opponent's home ground. To rise from third place, there is a six-game gap, but they will head into Fukuoka with the best possible atmosphere.

Manager Shinjo said, 'Winning streaks are always huge. You can't say we don't have momentum after eight straight wins. People would get mad at me if I said that.'

During the five-minute press scrum, their expression remained bright from start to finish.