Kaima Taira, Shinya Hasegawa Push Seibu Past Orix in Second-Place Race

Kaima Taira delivered seven strong innings and Shinya Hasegawa hit the decisive two-run homer as the Saitama Seibu Lions beat the Orix Buffaloes 2-1 at Belluna Dome on Tuesday, September 29. The win moved Seibu to 77-60-4 and widened its lead over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to one game in the race for second place in the Pacific League.

With the league title already secured by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the remaining stakes are substantial. Second place brings home-field advantage in the opening stage of the Climax Series, and Seibu strengthened its position with a low-scoring win built around one swing and another commanding start from Taira.

Hasegawa turns the game in the second inning

Orix scored first in the opening inning, but the Lions answered in the second. Kazunari Ishii drew a walk before Hasegawa drove a two-run home run to left, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.

It was Hasegawa’s 12th home run of the season. The center fielder finished 1-for-3 with both Seibu RBIs, and the Lions made the early advantage stand despite collecting only three hits.

Orix starter Kaisei Higashimatsu otherwise kept the game close. He allowed three hits and two runs over six innings, striking out four, but Hasegawa’s homer left him with the loss.

Taira shuts down Orix after early run

Taira allowed two singles and one run in the first inning, then took control. The right-hander completed seven innings on 95 pitches, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out seven.

The victory improved Taira to 12-5 and lowered his ERA to 1.36. Hibiki Shinohara worked a perfect eighth before Hiroshi Kaino handled the ninth for his 23rd save, pitching around a two-out double to preserve the one-run lead.

Seibu’s pitching staff retired Orix without another run after the first inning and combined for nine strikeouts. The Buffaloes finished with five hits but went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Seibu gains ground in the second-place race

Seibu entered Tuesday only half a game ahead of Nippon-Ham. The Lions’ victory increased that margin to one full game, with Seibu now holding a .562 winning percentage compared with the Fighters’ .554.

That edge matters because the second-place club will host the third-place team in the best-of-three first stage of the Pacific League Climax Series. Seibu has already secured a postseason berth, but Hasegawa’s home run and Taira’s seven-inning performance pushed the Lions closer to opening the playoffs at home.