Seibu Lions vs Rakuten Gold. Eagles

The fifth-inning explosion was decisive. Kishi (4-4) had held Seibu to one hit through four innings, but Seibu's bottom half of the order — Takizawa batting eighth and Sakaizaki ninth — ignited the rally. Once they reached base, Canario delivered the key blow with a two-out, two-run single. The four consecutive hits off Kishi (single, double, single, home run) turned a tight pitchers' duel into a 3-0 deficit Rakuten could not overcome.

Takeuchi (Seibu) — The left-hander was in complete command. Eight innings, four hits, no walks, seven strikeouts. He retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced after the Nakashima triple in the sixth. His only blemish was the run-scoring triple, and he immediately neutralised the threat. Season record improves to 10-6.

Canario (Seibu) — The right-fielder went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, the biggest hit being the two-out, two-run single in the fifth that turned the game. He also singled in the seventh.

Hasegawa (Seibu) — 2-for-4 with a double and the solo homer in the eighth. The centre-fielder's 10th home run of 2026 gave Seibu breathing room entering the ninth.

Kaibeno (Seibu) — One perfect inning to close it out, with a strikeout, earning his 19th save. He and Takeuchi combined to limit Rakuten to four hits and one walk all game.

Player of the Match: Takeuchi — dominant eight-inning performance on 94 pitches.

Seibu outhit Rakuten 11-4, the disparity driven entirely by the fifth inning when the Lions strung together four consecutive hits. Rakuten managed only one extra-base hit (Nakashima's triple) and one hit with runners in scoring position all game. Takeuchi threw first-pitch strikes to 21 of the 27 batters he faced (78%), never falling behind in a count 3-0. Kishi was efficient through four (46 pitches) but the fifth-inning sequence cost him 31 pitches and the game. Seibu's bullpen was not really tested: Kaibeno needed only 14 pitches for the ninth.

The win improves Seibu to a Pacific League-best 69-49-3 record, maintaining their hold on second place with a strong 18-game surplus in the win column. They have now won six consecutive home series against Rakuten. The Golden Eagles drop to 58-59-5, falling further below .500 in a competitive PL race.

Seibu next travel to face the Orix Buffaloes on September 1 at Kyocera Dome (14:00 JST). Rakuten return home to Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi for a three-game set against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters starting September 1.

A textbook NPB performance from Seibu: efficient starting pitching, timely hitting with runners in scoring position, and two solo home runs to pad the lead. Rakuten's offence, held to one hit through four innings and never able to sustain pressure, has now scored two or fewer runs in four of their last seven games. Takeuchi's command was the difference — and with Kaibeno locked in as closer, Seibu's late-inning formula continues to hold up.