[Nippon-Ham] Manager Shinjo, holding on to a one-game lead against Softbank, makes a rare suggestion for the mixed-season: “It’ll be more interesting if The Tigers are in it.” | Pacific League

Pacific League Nippon-Ham 5-0 Rakuten (29th, Escon)

Nippon-Ham easily beat Rakuten thanks to Reyes’ 28th home run, a two-run shot, and reached 70 wins alongside the leader, Softbank. They held on to a one-game lead over the leader. Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo welcomed the close contest after the game, saying, “It would be even more exciting if The Tigers were here. I love being able to show that to the fans,” referring to his former team, which is leading Central League with 71 wins, and reflected on the game in his own unique style.

Kitayama pitched seven runs innings to earn his eighth win, bringing the team’s lead to 26, tying the season’s highest. The manager said with a serious look on his face, “There will be close games, and there will be developments like this, and every single day, that split second can be fatal. We will focus on the three-hour game. It doesn’t matter who performs well. The most important thing is to win.” With 26 games remaining, the team has vowed to win every single one.

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