Rakuten Gold. Eagles vs Chiba Lotte Marines

The game remained scoreless through the first inning as both starters worked cleanly. Kishi struck out the side in order in the top of the first, while Lotte's starter Long avoided damage despite a Nakashima leadoff single.

Rakuten broke through in the bottom of the second. Catcher Yuma Horiuchi — batting eighth — crushed his first career home run, a two-run shot to right field off Long that gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

An inning later, the Eagles extended. YG Yasuda lined an RBI single to centre, scoring Muneyama to make it 3-0.

Kishi never wavered. He retired the Marines in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, scattering only the occasional single. The Marines' Fujiwara went 0-for-5 from the leadoff spot, grounding into two outs with runners on.

Rakuten added insurance in the seventh when YG Yasuda crushed an RBI double to right-centre, scoring Murashige for a 4-0 lead. In the eighth, shortstop Rui Muneyama roped an RBI double to left-centre, plating Nakashima to make it 5-0.

The decisive moment came in the second inning. With the game still scoreless and Rakuten threatening after a Murashige double, Horiuchi jumped on a Long offering and sent it over the right-field wall. The two-run blast — Horiuchi's first NPB home run — changed the complexion of the game, giving Kishi all the run support he would need.

Long (1-6) lasted only three innings, allowing three runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He threw 63 pitches before being lifted for Yagi.

Takayuki Kishi (Rakuten) — Winning pitcher. 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 98 pitches. Never allowed a runner past second base. The definition of a stopper.

Yuma Horiuchi (Rakuten) — 2-for-4, 2-run HR (1st career), 2 RBI. The rookie catcher's first NPB homer proved to be the game-winner.

YG Yasuda (Rakuten) — 3-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI. Consistently delivered in scoring position, plating runs in the third and seventh.

Kaito Nakashima (Rakuten) — 4-for-5, 1 R. A perfect night at the plate from the leadoff man, setting the table repeatedly.

Koji Yamaguchi (Lotte) — 2-for-5, 2-run HR (22nd). The lone bright spot for the Marines, his ninth-inning blast off Tsurusaki spoiled the shutout but was too little, too late.

Player of the Match: Takayuki Kishi. Seven shutout innings with five strikeouts set the tone from the first pitch and never allowed Lotte to breathe.

Rakuten out-hit Lotte 16-11, a gap that understates the Eagles' efficiency with runners in scoring position. The Eagles left only five runners on base despite collecting 16 hits, plating runs in four separate innings (second, third, seventh, eighth). Lotte, by contrast, put 11 men on base but managed only two runs — both in the ninth after the game was decided.

Kishi's 0.86 WHIP on the night reflected his command. He faced 26 batters, threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of them, and did not issue a single walk. The Marines' bullpen held Rakuten to two runs over five innings (Yagi, Ono, Takahashi), but the damage against Long proved insurmountable.

The Rakuten bullpen trio of Kajiya (hold), Nishigaki and Tsurusaki combined for 2.0 innings, allowing two runs (both charged to Tsurusaki on Yamaguchi's homer) on three hits with two strikeouts.

Rakuten's win in Game 16 of the season series improves their head-to-head record against Lotte. The Eagles have now won 25 of 50 all-time meetings between the two Pacific League clubs dating back to 2024. With this result, Rakuten continues to apply pressure in the middle of the Pacific League standings.

Chiba Lotte, meanwhile, will look to bounce back after managing just two runs despite 11 hits — a night defined by missed opportunities and excellent pitching opposition.

The two sides meet again at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi for continuation of their series. The Eagles will aim to build on Kishi's dominant outing, while the Marines seek to solve Rakuten's pitching and get to a bullpen that showed late vulnerability.

A complete team performance from Rakuten, anchored by Kishi's finest start of the year. The Eagles got timely hitting, excellent starting pitching, and clean defence (zero errors). Lotte had plenty of baserunners but lacked the clutch hit — until it was far too late.