Nippon-Ham Fighters defeat Orix Buffaloes 5-3

The Nippon-Ham Fighters defeated the Orix Buffaloes 5-3 at Escon Field Hokkaido, snapping a two-game losing streak. The victory allowed Nippon-Ham to close the gap with second-place Seibu to 1.5 games.

Nippon-Ham took an early lead through a 22nd solo home run by Kotaro Kiyomiya and an RBI hit by Manami. Although Orix's Tomoya Noguchi hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to briefly take a 3-3 lead, Nippon-Ham responded immediately. Haruki Nishikawa delivered a decisive RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to reclaim the lead.

Starting pitcher Takayuki Kato earned his 12th win of the season, maintaining an undefeated record against Orix. For the Buffaloes, the loss confirmed their first losing season since 2024, bringing their record to 63 wins and 71 losses.